Gentlemen thieves?

[Ed'n Lauky]

I'm curious to know if anyone as any idea what percentage of the break-ins are done during daylight hours and what percentage are done after dark.

 

[Bob Kittredge]

Another catalytic converter

Friend of mine left his truck parked on Rte 16 in Jackson this past weekend and discovered on Sunday that someone had tried to steal his catalytic converter. He figured that it's being a truck made it all the more accessible.

Crap!

 

[king tut]

Is this stealing of catalytic converters new? I have never heard of this before I saw this thread. I would not be overly mad if someone stole mine off of an old car, but if i saw someone trying to saw off one on my new car, I think i would probably go postal on these knuckle heads.

 

[FARMER]

death penalty for petty crime

 

[MichaelJ]

It's not just trailheads. A friend of mine parks his Subaru daily in a busy commuter rail lot way out in the 'burbs. He got back last night to find his car up on cinder blocks, all four tires and wheels gone.

 

[Steve-o]

Friend of mine left his truck parked on Rte 16 in Jackson this past weekend and discovered on Sunday that someone had tried to steal his catalytic converter. He figured that it's being a truck made it all the more accessible.

Crap!

Hmmm.. Good point.
High clearance vehicles are more liable to get hit.
Doubt your going to see many gentlemen, jacking up cars, to get their Catalytic converters but, who knows....

For now, Nothing valuable in the car. If I have anything, I would stash it, in a dry bag, near the TH.

I'm starting to believe in the theory that, leave the doors unlocked.
And hopefully the moron will check the doors before smashing the window but, I guess, It depends on where you park.

 

[TEO]

Can the OP or the moderators change the title of the thread? I find nothing gentlemanly about theft or attempted theft.

 

[Raymond]

I used that title that because, in my case, nothing seems to have been taken and the doors were relocked.

Don’t know if that was the case with the seven break-ins on Zealand Road. I didn’t think to ask until it was too late.

 

[David Metsky]

Can the OP or the moderators change the title of the thread? I find nothing gentlemanly about theft or attempted theft.

Nope, it works just fine as is.

 

[Trout]

Cutting out the converters is nothing new, it's been going on for years.

 

[RoySwkr]

Friend of mine left his truck parked on Rte 16 in Jackson this past weekend and discovered on Sunday that someone had tried to steal his catalytic converter. He figured that it's being a truck made it all the more accessible.

That's where the other one was, we're beginning to see a pattern so I hope he reported it to the police

Just ask the nearest scrap metal dealer who is bringing in catalytic converters, and see if the thieves were stupid enough to use their real names

Is this stealing of catalytic converters new? I have never heard of this before I saw this thread. I would not be overly mad if someone stole mine off of an old car, but if i saw someone trying to saw off one on my new car, I think i would probably go postal on these knuckle heads.

I've heard of it in urban areas but not at trailheads before, although when you think about it a trailhead is probably more deserted

The cost is probably the same for a replacement for either and you need it to pass emissions inspection, and if you dropped comprehensive on the old car...

 

[Brambor]

the

The scrap metal dealers are in on it. Just about a month ago the police nabbed one dcrap metal facility in maine.

 

[TCD]

Electrify...

 

[Kevin Rooney]

What makes the catalytic converters a target? Is it the platinum inside the converter?

 

[brianW]

quote:
"Catalytic converters contain tiny amounts of three precious metals - platinum, palladium and rhodium - that have seen their commodity rates skyrocket in the past two years. According to online commodities Web site www.kitco.com, the price of rhodium has shot up in the past five years from $380 to $6,000 per ounce. It closed this week at $6,075. Palladium rose from about $200 per ounce two years ago to $360 in April 2006. It has remained steady at the higher price for the past year, and closed this week at $352. Between April 2005 and November 2006, the price of platinum rose by more than 60 percent, from $865 per ounce to $1,355. This week's close was $1,264."
http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070407/A_NEWS/704070313

I have seen new reports of metal thieves stealing the copper from large air conditioning units to sell for scrap.

 

[Kevin Rooney]

Thanks for the info, Brian. Those metals are certainly getting pricey.

As for copper - am not surprised about the A/C units. They've been ripping Romex out of walls in buildings under construction for the same reason.

To put copper in another perspective - when I built my house 3 years ago I needed to connect the utility meter located on the pump house with the main house, 175' away. The copper wire (6 gauge IIRC) for the standard 200 amp service was $1,020 - just for the wire.

 

[ALGonquin Bob]

Just ask the nearest scrap metal dealer who is bringing in catalytic converters, and see if the thieves were stupid enough to use their real names

If scrap dealers were arrested and charged as accessories to the theft, there would be less thefts of cat converters, manhole covers, and grave markers.

 

[Lou Hale]

If scrap dealers were arrested and charged as accessories to the theft, there would be less thefts of cat converters, manhole covers, and grave markers.

yeah but until you starting putting serial numbers on car parts to prove the cat was stolen out of a specific vehicle its pretty tough to prove accessory, even if its sitting on the counter when the police walk in. tens (hundreds?)of thousands (at least) of cars get scrapped or parted out every year. There are plenty of legitimate buyers of junk out there.

 

[jrichard]

I wouldn't try it.

If the wire shorts to the frame, it could explode and/or set the car on fire.

12V is highly unlikely to hurt anyone directly. (FWIW, If I don't have access to a meter, I lick the terminals on 9V batteries as a quick test...)

And as I understand it, automatic booby traps make you legally liable...


However, the mud around the puddle might record some footprints.

Doug

It's not the volts, it's the amps. Yes, it hurts! (And I never fail to disconnect the battery terminals when working on cars now, despite indication of a dead battery!)

Anyway, I think/hope TCD was kidding around, but who knows who's reading this stuff. :\

 

[Ed'n Lauky]

I'm curious to know if anyone as any idea what percentage of the break-ins are done during daylight hours and what percentage are done after dark.

I asked the question before but haven't seen any response. Since I mostly do day hikes and generally return to the car before dark, I'm kind of curious to know if my risk of being broken in to is any less than those who leave their cars at the trail head over night. Or, to phrase the question another way, how much greater is the risk when leaving a car at a trail head over night?