Catalytic Converter Theft on the Rise in Alberta

Leduc Alberta has seen an uptick in catalytic converter thefts in recent months. This rising crime trend comes as RCMP have responded to several thefts of catalytic converters, which they say is a crime of opportunity.

"Crime prevention through environmental design is a key factor in reducing theft of catalytic converters." says Cst. Cheri-Lee Smith.

Car Dealers in Leduc should also be using a proactive approach to their security and avoid using solutions with a high false alarm rate to see a priority police response.

The goal is to work with local law enforcement to catch the person in the act and prevent any losses from occurring. Theft of catalytic converters is one of the top crimes dealerships face and traditional security can make a police response challenging. Responding officers benefit from additional information like how many suspects, are they armed, and where are they on your dealership - especially if you have a large outdoor lot to protect.

“Our officers are working diligently using crime reduction strategies to target the offenders and reduce the impact these thefts have on residents in the area,” says Sgt. Shane Himmelman.

Storage lots can also be a challenge to protect, as there is typically less foot-traffic than at a sales centre or dealership. When using a camera system to protect your outdoor vehicle storage lot, you'll want to consider camera placement very carefully.

On average 40 people from Canada per month search on Google for "how much is a catalytic converter worth" and sites like RRCats.com give people easy access to re-selling these converters.

How much is a Catalytic Converter Worth?

• $50 - $80 for a small domestic catalytic converter
• $20 - $464 for a Diesel catalytic converter
• $85 - $160 for a small General Motors catalytic converter
• $165 - $300 for a large General Motors catalytic converter
• $100-$200 for a large Chrystler catalytic converter

At Radius Security we see attempted thefts like this all the time. In this example, you can see how an attempted theft of a catalytic converter was caught by police.

Security Specialist Tom Eijzinga is local to Alberta and helps local dealerships with their unique security challenges. He is responsible for building and designing the redhanded solutions for our customer sites locally. If you have questions about your security or have recently experienced theft of a catalytic converter from your dealership or car lot contact Tom at tom@radiussecurity.com

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