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Criminals who steal catalytic converters from petrol cars – causing significant damage in the process – go unpunished, while the police only charge 1 percent of thieves in the past five years.
Approximately 50,000 catalytic converter thefts were reported in 20 police districts surveyed between 2017 and 2021.
However, in fewer than 550 of these cases, a thief was charged, according to figures obtained by the Liberal Democrats and reported by the BBC.
Cat burglars get away with it: New figures from the Liberal Democrats suggest just 1% of catalytic converter thefts from cars over the past 5 years have led to criminal charges
The party sent a freedom of information request to all armed forces in England and Wales, 20 of which provided full details.
In these 20 police forces, a total of 50,223 catalytic converter thefts were reported over the five-year period.
However, in only 548 of these cases was a suspect charged, the figures provided suggested.
Full figures from some of the largest forces – including West Midlands Police and Greater Manchester Police – were not made available.
In the 20 areas surveyed, the number of thefts increased from just 742 in 2017 to a whopping 19,451 in 2020.
Catalytic converter thefts fell to 15,780 in 2021, though the Lib Dems said it was likely due to this being the first full year of the Covid pandemic.
Approximately 50,000 catalytic converter thefts were reported in 20 police districts surveyed between 2017 and 2021
Catalytic converters take gases produced by gasoline engines and convert them into water vapor and less harmful emissions through a series of chemical reactions
Palladium in the devices is extremely valuable, which is why gangs target cars
The devices are fitted to all petrol cars from 1993 onwards.
They are designed to reduce the harmful pollutants emitted from vehicle exhaust pipes by taking the gases produced and converting them into water vapor and less harmful emissions through a series of chemical reactions.
The devices are made from a range of valuable materials including palladium, rhodium and platinum – and criminal gangs are well aware of this small fortune stored under your vehicle.
The combined value of all catalysts taken off between 2019 and 2021 was more than £16 million, according to calculations by insurer Direct Line last year.
With gangs only interested in the expensive metals contained in them, the methods by which the devices are removed from cars parked on the side of the road and in driveways are relatively rudimentary.
In many cases, thieves saw off the parts of the car’s exhaust system in order to remove them as quickly as possible and escape undetected.
This photo from the Metropolitan Police shows some stolen catalytic converters recovered by officers in London in 2021
Insurance claims to replace a catalytic converter sawed off the exhaust system by thieves can be up to £3,000
This, in turn, can cause significant damage to vehicles and in some cases makes it unprofitable to repair older models, so they are written off by insurers.
An analysis of 10,000 garage bills in 2019 by MotorEasy found that the average cost to replace a catalytic converter was a whopping £1,300. However, AA Insurance said in 2020 that claims related to damage caused when the appliances were sawed off the exhaust could be between £2,000 and £3,000.
While all post-1993 gasoline cars have them, older models of gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles are often targeted by thieves because they contain a higher concentration of precious metals and are generally less corroded.
Insurer Admiral has previously said hybrid models under attack include the Honda Jazz, Toyota Prius, Toyota Auris and Lexus RX of all generations and ages.
By far the highest number of thefts of emissions control devices in the five-year period reviewed by the Lib Dems was recorded in London, with 36,586 cases.
Only 544 of these crimes were solved by the Met, it said.
915 cases were recorded in Hertfordshire in 2020, but none led to criminal charges.
In South Yorkshire that year, police were told of 669 robberies, again with no convictions.
The Liberal Democrats have called for more to be done to tackle the problem, including more visible community policing to deter thieves.
Sarah Olney, Richmond Park MP and spokesperson for the Lib Dem Treasury, said there is an ‘epidemic of catalytic converter theft’ in Britain, but that in far too many cases the gangs responsible ‘get away with it’.
“People should at least expect that if something is stolen from their vehicle, it will be properly investigated,” she added.
Responding to the report, a spokesman for the Home Office told the BBC: ‘We recognize the impact theft can have on victims and we want offenders to be charged and brought to justice.
“Since the establishment of the National Infrastructure Crime Reduction Partnership in 2020, there has been great success in tackling metal theft through coordinated national actions against scrap dealers – including a marked increase in enforcement action by police and partner agencies.”
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