Converter Theft, Still an issue?

Greetings,
I have not heard much about converter theft recently. Has is slowed down?
Regards,
BC

 

Yes it is. They stopped reporting them because it became so bad. I know three people in the last 4 months, two Toyotas and a Ford.

 

IDK, but I've seen many stories where they stole the whole truck. Maybe inflation

 

Honestly it depends on the location and where you live. For example where I live I have not heard of any issues with "package theft" and I think this follows CatCon theft. So as I said all depends on location location location..

 

Also depends on where you visit and park or overnight such as a hotel or airport.

 

I agree with it depending on location. I don't know anyone that has ever had a cat stolen.

However the theft rate in the county I live in for ALL theft types is 6.25 thefts per 1000 residents per year. The odds of me knowing someone that had a cat converter stolen would therefore be infinitesimally small.

 

They hit my 05 a couple years back, insurance guy said he was averaging 10 a day. Think it's a big ring working an area then moving on, seems to be cyclic.

 

I was told the penalties for scrapyards buying them w/o proper documentation were getting pretty severe. Makes it harder for the average meth head to unload.

 

They come armed now and just steal your truck, bastards.

Faraday cage/bag your key fobs while you sleep if your vehicle is unsecured or gear up and take your chances trying smoke these assholes.

 

This is bullshit.
Mine were stolen in my employer's parking lot at noon on a Tuesday.
I don't work at an airport or a hotel..

It takes less than a minute to steal 4 cats off a Tundra..


OP if you have any doubts, get some cat shields.
It's a bad feeling to start your truck and realize your cats are gone..
Back in 2021, when mine were stolen, is was an 8-month wait for cat replacements from Toyota.

The drive to the dealership..

https://youtu.be/qXwLc4w6Aic?si=2cIli3mHYNyqjtX-

 

That was meant to remind folks who might travel outside of their normal routine and local area. Suppose you park in your garage and drive for FedEx locally during the day and FedEx has a secured parking area. However, next month you are planning a weekend in Las Vegas or going to Cancun for a week. It might be helpful to be reminded of the risk since you don't normally have any worries. Sorry if you don't find it helpful, it still might help a person decide to take a cab to the airport vs leaving their unprotected truck there for a few days. Not everyone needs or wants to spend ~$500 on plates.

 

I get it, but still bullshit.
What is this paradise you live in?

I drive for UPS and park in a secured parking lot.
They still stole my cats..

Most airports have 'secured' parking lots.
Secured parking lots don't mean shit.
An outsourced security company pays guards minimum wage, they don't care about your vehicle.
They could actually be in on the theft..

Park in a Walmart parking lot for more than 3 minutes, your cats can be stolen.
Your alarm goes off, no one cares or even gives it a second look anymore.

You shouldn't give people a false sense of security telling them that theft only happens in certain situations.
It can happen anywhere at any time..

You might feel differently if your cats were stolen in broad daylight in a 'secured' parking lot and your employer didn't give 1 fuck about it.
Don't count on others for protection against crime, that's all I'm saying.
Better safe than sorry.

$500 for cat shields (mine were $800) is a small price to pay to have a sense of starting your truck and not hearing your cats are gone.
Having to do without your truck (I did it for 8 months), having your insurance premiums increased, having to miss work from dealing with the bullshit, etc..
If only I had bought cat shields earlier, it never would have happened.

Sorry if you don't find my post helpful as well.

 

Another cheapo method to slow down and make em' find another EZr target is having hardened rebar welded in several places to each cat and other component - cost me $60 at a local welding shop.

Sure they cut and steal anything so just trying to push them along (and hoping they don't just load the whole thing up on a tow truck - LOL)...

 

I mean you can call it BS but do you really think you necessarily work in a good neighborhood? even if its secured? anyways no offence as I am sure your not meaning it as such either..

Also you can stencil the Cat using high temp paint spray with "Stolen CAT" or similar to deter cat theft as well.. anything to even give the Cat thieves a movement to think before they steal the cats. They may be like forget it.. no point..

 

If it's that bad, they might steal the whole truck next time. Might want to take some steps to try and prevent that if you haven't already. Good luck!

 

What is a 'good' neighborhood?
Where exactly is this crime-free paradise?

The issue is members asking about cat theft are being told it only happens in certain situations.
I'd hope you are smarter than that.
Jeezus Christ, you live in Atlanta..

You or @2mchfun don't want to spend the money on shields, don't buy them.
But it is a disservice to people like the OP inquiring about a problem that exists all over, even in Canada.
Just because it isn't the current topic on the news doesn't mean it all went away..

Thanks for another worthless suggestion on painting your cats.
Did it ever occur to you that spray paint can be easily removed or repainted?

 

OP asked about it.
It's a disservice to negate or minimize the known issue..

Stay out of bad neighborhoods.
Paint your cats..
Yes, seems like sound advice..

 

What is a good neighborhood? That's easy! A good neighborhood is one where secured parking is considered an unnecessary PITA. Location makes a difference. Secure parking and secure communities means there's a lot of theft going on in an area. Another give away is bars on the windows of local businesses.

 

That is awesome that everywhere you park your truck, be it home or abroad, you're in a good neighborhood.
What a blessing that is for you...

No cat shields for you..

 

Exactly. Thanks! I moved away from the urban/suburban rat race 35 years ago. Best thing I ever did. YMMV.

 

It doesn't happen in my region of central/north Florida. Mechanics, parts store guys, junkyard guys, all give you blank looks when you ask about it. It's just not a thing.

 

It is still a thing in Central Texas, though it's not as bad as it was 2 years ago, and it's not headline news anymore. Legislation and the efforts of law enforcement have made it harder on the bad actors to fence the stolen materials.

Due to my work, I am all over the city and don't have the luxury of being able to park in well secured or policed/patrolled locations. I bought cat shields in 2022 when there was the sudden increase in cat theft. While only a deterrent and not a theftproof solution, I credit those shields for my not having my cats stolen. I've parked in both parking lots and parking garages where my Tundra was not hit by thieves and other Tundras (and other vehicles) were hit by thieves during the time period my truck was parked in those same areas. 3 Tundras all parked next to each other with 2 of us arriving at the same time. My truck was the only one of the three to leave with my cats still in place. And it's not hard to tell when someone has been nailed, especially in a parking garage. It sounds like someone firing up a top fuel dragster. I've encountered that several times over the last couple of years. The cat shields have given me a bit more peace of mind when parking in the city, especially when I don't have line of sight to my truck.


Even with the cat shields, I exercise a degree of vigilance and try to park as "safely" as possible, regardless of where I am at. Being aware of your surroundings is the first step in an organized defense. I don't always have the luxury of parking in crime free areas. And spending money on deterrents like cat shields was hedging my bets and was my money well spent. I am vigilant because I refuse to live in fear. Thieves suck. It's all of us against all of them.

 

Same here... is not a thing.. which is why I mentioned its all about location location location.. my loco is Northern Atlanta burbs... so yeah...

 

Now, this one of the most ridiculous things that I see, mostly on the idiot box(TV), a s a preventative measure and in reality it does absolutely nothing. You can strip paints off easily for firsts, but these guys cut them open too. Just another ploy for local PD's to justify their pay and look like they're actually doing something about it, when in reality are doing nothing but taking reports.

I went the plate route.