Business owners urged to be vigilant with increasing catalytic converter thefts

Police in Barrie urge business owners to ensure their security measures are in good working order with the long weekend approaching and thieves targeting catalytic converters.

Police advise parking vehicles indoors or behind well-lit fenced enclosures because thieves will remove the converters in outdoor areas where work vehicles are stored.

A catalytic converter is a device attached to the exhaust system that helps reduce pollutants.

"Thieves are literally cutting these emission control devices out of cars, trucks and in some cases buses as well, and they are being sold at scrap yards for the precious metals (platinum, palladium, and rhodium) that they contain," Barrie Police Services stated.

Experts say the precious metals can sell on the black market for hundreds of dollars.

Police note the organized thefts often occur overnight in industrial areas where the culprits aren't easily noticed.

They say to focus security cameras, preferably with infrared capabilities, on parking areas.

Police report an increasing trend in catalytic converter thefts over the past two years across Canada.