Catalytic converter theft: The common denominator for Bakersfield residents

Nov. 15—In a region often polarized by politics, there is one common denominator that seems to unite Americans together more effectively than The Super Bowl or Christmas combined: catalytic converters.

On Tuesday, in partnership with Pep Boys Auto, the Bakersfield Police Department set up shop at the F Street location downtown. Their mission: sign people up to etch their cars with personal identifiers in the ongoing effort to curb catalytic converter theft.

"There is a huge issue with catalytic converter theft in our area, which is an issue not just in Bakersfield, but across the entire country," said Rachel Rivera, a community specialist at the Bakersfield Police Department. "We're looking for creative ways to deter this crime from happening."

It likely does not come as a surprise to people that theft of these converters is an issue here in California. The state has secured the gold in a number of studies, including a 2021 national report by State Farm Insurance that named California number one with 10,577 converters stolen between July 2021 and June 2022, nearly double that of Texas, which comes in second.

"We are actively working angles to go after buyers because we know that these would not be a commodity if there wasn't a market for it," Rivera said.

The state accounts for 37 percent of total converter thefts nationwide, according to data from the National Insurance Crime Bureau. And 2,224 thefts have been reported this year in Bakersfield alone, according to past reports.

Most residents either know a victim, or have been one themselves.

"My neighbors have had their catalytic converters stolen, so I figured since my car is parked outside, it'd probably be a good idea to get it done," said Andrea Golding, a Bakersfield resident, explaining why she decided to come out.

In September, Bakersfield local Diana Freeling said that in the time between her exiting her car, going inside, and coming out a few minutes later, someone had stolen her converter. She knew when she started the vehicle and heard the unmuffled roar, a sound likened to dirty thunder.

Those with insurance usually have to pay a deductible to replace their converter, while uninsured owners on average are forced to shell out upwards of $3,000 to $4,000 to fix their vehicles, depending on how clean the converter is removed, according to a report from the National Insurance Crime Bureau.

Even with insurance, Freeling had to pay a $500 deductible to fix her car.

"A catalytic converter is $700 and I still had to pay $500," she said. "At the time, I didn't have money like that."

When she filed the report, Freeling said, the officer commiserated with her, saying that his converter was stolen three months prior.

"You know, they'll get to whoever they can get — there's obviously a market for it," Freeling said. "But the officer today told me they haven't had a report of one being stolen since they started doing this with the paint, so hopefully it works."

The city partnered, as it has done several times in the past year, with an auto shop to offer free markings on people's catalytic converters. Rivera pointed out that this method — scribing one's VIN number and spraying a coat of heat-resistant fluorescent paint — is a cheap and easy way of tracking these converters, in the event they are stolen in the future.

"We need community partnership; this is one way that we can connect with the community," Rivera said. "This is not a fix, this is not going to stop somebody from stealing your catalytic converter, but it is going to give us the legal teeth we need to prosecute the people committing these offenses."

Any California vehicle owner could sign up for the event at no cost. According to officials there, nearly 50 people registered to have their vehicle marked.

"Hey, even stuff like this here, if this is gonna prevent me from paying $1,000 for my converter, then by all means — the service is free so take advantage of it," said Jose Ayala, a Bakersfield resident.

A catalytic converter — which filters your car's toxic gases and reduces overall emissions — is loaded with precious metals, such as platinum, rhodium and palladium, and can resell from hundreds to thousands of dollars. Rhodium is currently valued around $13,500 per troy ounce, significantly more valuable than gold.

"They have precious metals inside, so it makes them a target and an easy target, unfortunately," Rivera said. "This crime only takes a minute, maybe even 10 seconds for someone who's done it a few times to get under the vehicle and chop off the converters."

In July, the Bakersfield City Council tried to pass an ordinance to stymie this growing problem. The measure, according to Ward 7 Councilman and co-author Chris Parlier, would have allowed prosecutors to charge anyone with a misdemeanor if they had multiple catalytic converters without legitimate ownership.

The council ultimately shelved the bill, after California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed in September two bills similar in scope to the city ordinance. The two laws, AB 1740 and SB 1087, will establish "who may sell and purchase catalytic converters, ensure that the sellers are the verifiable owners of the part's vehicle, and require a traceable payment method for transactions." Fines for breaking these laws start at $1,000 and increase upon repeated offenses.

When asked about the legislation, many of the residents present were skeptical as to how effective the bills will be, saying it's nothing more than "a slap on the wrist."

"The fee they can get around," Ayala said. "And if they don't have the money for the fee, they'll spend the time in jail, but they'll get kicked right back out. And they'll be right back to it. That's the cycle that goes on here."

The two state laws take effect in January. Parlier said the council will monitor how the laws handle, and gauge whether they need an additional ordinance.