From a police perspective catalytic converter theft is pretty much a non-starter. The cops that came to investigate the theft at my dads lot pretty much confirmed it. There’s no place to start.
And in dads case, the detective work would’ve been easier than most. Somewhere in the area, immediately after the crime, there was a pile of 16, Land Rover stamped, left hand cats and 16, Land Rover stamped, right hand cats. Most likely at a scrapyard in a dumpster or sea-can.
The scrapyard keeps a record of who’s selling and what they’re selling... but I’m sure that doesn’t extend to the BRAND of converter. The employee might have taken note of a number of identical cats from a rather obscure mark... maybe. Maybe he even remembers the date... maybe even the customer.
All that guy has to say is : “Nah, it wasn’t me.” Or: “Oh, yeah. I got those [insert legitimate reason]”. Cops job is over.
There are licensed, insured, LEGITIMATE companies that buy catalytic converters and sell them in bulk to the scrapyards.
The only way they solved copper theft around here was for the scrapyards to require both a business license AND a drivers license to recycle any sort of copper wire or plumbing. Ostensibly at least.
I have no form of business license, yet I have recycled miles of wire for certain and at least yards of copper pipe. I bet I could get good money for any catalytic converter I showed up with, at my usual scrapyard.
At $500/cat, the money ain’t bad if you’re already inclined to be a piece of shit. In my dad’s case, probably $12-15k for two or so hours worth of work. A minute or so per cut, 64 cuts... possibly even faster with a better tool than a recip-type saw.
The best defense against catalytic converter theft is by driving a CAR!
Or by NOT having catalytic converter(s) to cut off.
After that, it’s like defense against any other theft. Make stealing from you a little less appealing than stealing from the next guy... if not stealing at all. Even then, some people are always just...
inclined to it.
As an anecdote, if you drive an F-series Ford... and plan on shooting the guy potentially stealing your catalytic converters...
Don’t leave it in the glovebox.
The thieves know it’s (likely to be) there. They’ll break the window to find the pistol first and ARM themselves while they’re taking YOUR exhaust. They’re liable to shoot you with your own gun whilst stealing from YOU.
Otherwise, actively prevent the theft, however you care to. Suck it up when it happens. Or keep your pet copperhead corked up in your truck exhaust. Word of something like THAT gets around and thieves start looking for the next best thing.
The best in both ACTIVE and PASSIVE security.
See y’all at the next rattlesnake roundup.