The number of catalytic converter thefts throughout San Luis Obispo County continues to rise.
Catalytic converter thefts have been reported throughout the county including Morro Bay, Paso Robles, and San Luis Obispo where police there say 48 of the devices were stolen over a span of two months.
In Paso Robles, police say 11 cases have been reported since February.
"We are trying to find, trying to track down some leads but there's not a lot of consistencies to them and those that are stealing them are pretty quick,” said Commander Caleb Davis, Paso Robles Police Department.
Preventing this kind of theft can be challenging, according to police, but the owner of a local auto repair shop says there is a step you can take to make it harder for criminals to target your vehicle.
It's called a cat security system. The added security goes over your catalytic converter to make it harder for thieves to remove.
"Putting an added layer of physical protection where they literally cannot get their saw in there, they literally cannot get their tools in there to get the bolts out. That makes a difference,” said Reeves Auto Repair owner John Reeves.
The part ranges from $300 to $350. Reeves says it can save people up to $3,000.
"Nobody should have to spend that money to do something like this but in today's day and age, I feel like it's become an unfortunate truth,” he said.
Anyone with information on these thefts is encouraged to contact their local police department.
