Fredericton police report 17 catalytic converter thefts so far this year
CBC
As catalytic converter thefts in New Brunswick continue to rise, Fredericton police have released statistics that show 17 catalytic converters have been reported stolen since the beginning of the year.
Just last week, Moncton Headstart was targeted for the second time for their catalytic converter, and a few days before that, a Theatre New Brunswick van was vandalized in what the organization assumed was a failed attempt to steal the catalytic converter.
In a Thursday news release, police say 203 files for stolen catalytic converters were opened in 2022, compared to 123 in 2021.
The release said most of the thefts happened in commercial and corporate places and parking lots.
Peter Misheal, the owner of Ace Automotive Fredericton, said he hasn't had any thefts of catalytic converters in 2023, but the company had 11 in 2022. Since then, they have started keeping SUVs and trucks parked inside the shop overnight.
"If the vehicle is not running, we're putting tires underneath the vehicle and then we're parking cars on either side. Which means for them, it'll be impossible to move the tires from under the vehicle to get to the catalytic converter," said Misheal.
Police recommend sticking to parking in busy, well-lit areas, installing a sensitive alarm on the vehicle, engraving a VIN or license plate number in the converter to make it traceable, and getting the converter welded to the vehicle's frame at a muffler shop.
Misheal said he doesn't believe it's possible to weld a catalytic converter to a vehicle's frame because the vibrations from the exhaust would go through the frame and be felt inside the vehicle.
But he says welding mesh around the catalytic converter from one side of the vehicle's frame to the other could be a good step to help prevent theft. He said something like this could cost roughly $150 to $200 to install.
He said if possible, people should keep their vehicles in a garage overnight but if the owner of the vehicle doesn't have a garage, Misheal said a motion alarm could be a good deterrent.
Brock Hossack, of Speedy Auto Service in Fredericton, said a frame could be built to accommodate a welded catalytic converter, but it would depend on the vehicle's frame design and how far off the ground the vehicle is, so the cost for something like this would vary.
Hossack said he isn't surprised by the increase in thefts since he's observed that many catalytic converter thefts happen in good weather.
"The thieves are out, the weather is getting milder," he said.
In November 2022, Public Safety Minister Kris Austin introduced amendments to the Salvage Dealers Licensing Act intended to make it harder to sell stolen catalytic converters and other commonly stolen goods such as copper, lead flashing and copper wire.
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