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In no time, catalytic converter thieves had hit at least a dozen vehicles in the area, Police Chief Andrew R. McGurr said.
Such thieves have been cutting out converters and selling them for scrap for years. It's recently become something of an epidemic, though -- one that is made all the more visible by the explosion of home security video.
The highly-prized emissions-control devices help remove nitrogen oxide and other potentially toxic pollutants from a vehicle’s exhaust while reducing engine noise. They also have honeycomb interiors coated with a trio of precious metals -- rhodium, palladium and platinum – that have become black-market targets.
Rhodium alone can sell for upwards of $20,000 an ounce, over 10 times more than gold.
For thieves, that could mean from $50 to several hundred dollars in cold, hard cash from a chop shop or other buyer who resells the converter to a recycler. Some brazen recyclers even advertise on Facebook.
For motorists, the theft of a catalytic converter could mean a replacement bill of up to $2,000.
Teaneck police responding to a 3:21 a.m. call on Wyndham Road on Tuesday, Jan. 31, found that a converter had just been cut out, McGurr said.Exactly five minutes later, police got another call, this time on Suffern Road.
The caller saw a dark-colored SUV speed off, presumably with a converter from their vehicle, the chief said.
As the morning progressed, more residents began filing reports, McGurr said. By 2 p.m., there were a dozen, the chief said.The victims lived throughout town.
Thefts were reported at the municipal parking lot on River Road, on Churchill Road, Edgewood Road, Beverly Road, Cornwall Avenue, Winthrop Road, Ester Avenue, Briarcliff Road, Ogden Avenue and Taft Road, McGurr said.
The bandits in the Ogden Avenue theft drove off in a "newer-style" blue Town Car, he said.
McGurr broke down the vehicles targeted:
- Five Honda Accords (2003, 2005, 2006, 2006, 2007);
- Four Honda CRVs (All 2006);
- A 2003 Honda Pilot and 2000 Honda Odyssey;
- A 2002 Mitsubishi Outlander.
Police need your help with this. If you see -- or especially hear -- anything suspicious outside your home or on your block, be sure to call them immediately.
That's because there's no time to waste.
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McGurr urged people who see or hear a crime to call the Teaneck Police Department: (201) 837-2600. His force would rather get quickly to a report that turns into nothing than let a thief make a clean getaway.
Or you can provide a tip to Crime Stoppers, which offers rewards for information leading to the capture and prosecution of lawbreakers. Tips can be made anonymously on the group’s website at bergencrimestoppers.org or by calling 844-466-6789, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
When possible, McGurr urged, park in garages or on private property in well-lit areas. Thieves are "mostly targeting vehicles parked in the roadway or unattended lots," he said.
Motion-sensing lights, security cameras and vehicle alarms can also be effective deterrents, the chief noted.
There are also several aftermarket anti-theft devices that can be installed on vehicles to make it more difficult to remove the catalytic converter, he said. You could also have your license plate number or VIN etched onto the converter, which could alert a scrap dealer that it's stolen and identify you as the owner.
Meanwhile, McGurr also asked all Teaneck residents to check footage from any surveillance cameras they have, which might have captured helpful images of the thieves or their vehicles.
SEE: Catalytic Converter Theft (Allstate)
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