It takes a thief two minutes to steal a catalytic converter from the underbelly of a vehicle, according to university police.
Converter thefts, which have not before been an issue at UCLA, are increasing at an alarming rate across university parking structures.
Criminals have targeted 25 vehicles, all Toyota Tacomas or 4Runners, since Aug. 14. By contrast, only two converters were stolen at UCLA in all of 2008.
The converters are sought for their platinum content, and thefts have become a nationwide problem in recent years as value of platinum has risen, said Kristi Godines, a UCPD crime analyst.
That the trend would spread to UCLA was “only a matter of time,” Godines added.
Toyota Tacomas and 4Runners are at particular risk due to their reputation as having a high platinum content, said Randy Uyehara, the service director at Toyota of Hollywood. The vehicles’ raised suspections also make them easy for thieves to get under, he added.
“The thieves are just going in and cutting (converters) off with a torch,” Uyehara said. “It’s been a problem all over. We’ve had them stolen from guys at our shop.”
Replacing a stolen converter costs about $1,000, Uyehara said. Not replacing one, though, can permanently damage a vehicle.
“The converter’s job is to remove the impurities from exhaust gasses. When it’s taken out and you try to start your vehicle, it will sound like a motorcycle,” Uyehara said.
Unfortunately, converter theft is difficult to prevent, Godines said. She added that the best thing people can do is be vigilant of what is going on around them.
“It’s not typical for someone to be working under a vehicle,” Godines said. “That’s something everyone can look out for.”
Vehicle owners can also help to deter thieves by marking their converters with a license plate number, she said.
Despite efforts by UCPD to publicize the threat of converter theft, the crimes appear to have gone largely unnoticed in the UCLA community.
“I haven’t heard anything about this, but now that I know of it it’s kind of worrisome,” said Kanon Raman, a general services worker.
Raman said he parks his Toyota 4Runner on campus every day before he goes to work. Not driving to work due to the risk of converter theft is not an option, he said.
“I probably won’t lose sleep over this, but I’ll definitely think about it now,” Raman said.
Henry Shakelford, who parks his Toyota Tacoma at UCLA when he takes his children to tennis camp, also said he was not aware of the spike in converter thefts.
“How would I even know if my converter was stolen?” Shakelford asked. “To my knowledge, it was there this morning.”
Shakelford said he would try to be more aware of where he parks his vehicle in the future but would not take any additional precautions.