Two years ago, the San Luis Obispo Police Department reported 175 catalytic converter thefts. In 2022, the department reported 117.
This year however, since new laws went into effect to crack down on the crime, from January to May, they reported only 12.
“We used to see them sometimes twice a week. Now, we very rarely see them, and it is great to see that,” said Richard Heystee, a service adviser at Rizzoli’s Automotive.
He says so far this year, across their five auto shop locations, they have had fewer than ten clients who had their catalytic converters stolen.
“What we do, is take the vehicle in to our shop here. It is totally free,” Heystee explained. “We etch the license plate into the catalytic converter. That way, when a thief goes to steal a catalytic converter, they will likely see that, and not take it.”
At the start of the year, three state laws went into effect including: establishing a CHP task force for investigating catalytic converter thefts, limiting who can sell one, and requiring metal recyclers to maintain the vehicle information of the catalytic converters they purchase.
San Luis Obispo police deputy chief, Brian Amoroso says the combination of the new legislation and the department’s public outreach efforts have been major factors in bringing down the number of thefts in the city.
“Looking at about the first half of the year so far, we have seen a reduction of about 89% from 2021 figures, and down about 85% from last year,” Amoroso told KSBY.
And while the number of thefts has steadily gone down, we received some tips on what can be done to prevent it from happening to you.
“Park in the garage if possible or somewhere that is well-lit. Certainly having cameras in front of your home or being aware if you see suspicious vehicles,” he added.
Richard Heystee says some auto shops can even install a metal plate under your vehicle to prevent access to its catalytic converter, also providing some signs to look out for.
“Once those catalytic converters are removed, the vehicle tends to be extremely loud. So, if you start your vehicle in the morning and it is extremely loud, be sure to bring it here to Rizzoli’s, we will take a look at it for you, and hopefully, the catalytic converter isn’t stolen,” he said.
We also reached out to the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office for information on their catalytic converter theft trends but they said that information was not yet available.
