Catalytic converter thefts: What vehicles do thieves target in Wichita? Here’s a list

Out of the several hundred vehicles targeted for catalytic converter thefts in Wichita, patterns have emerged. Police have released a Top 11 list of vehicles being targeted this year.

Trucks are among the most targeted vehicles. That’s no surprise since they are easier for thieves to slide under and cut away the converters that contain precious metal. But the top targeted vehicles go across the spectrum, including SUVs and even a hybrid Toyota Prius.

Catalytic converters thefts have skyrocketed in Wichita in recent years.

“Four or five years ago, we might have six or seven converters (thefts) in a month ... and now we are up to the point where we have 100 to 150 a month,” crime analyst Geoffrey Vail said in a Sept. 7 Wichita police podcast.

That “increase has been occurring now since mid-2020,” he said, adding: “It’s kind of like the new normal.”

Police data shows there have been more than 800 thefts this year. That number is high historically, but down from last year. Through August there were 768 thefts, compared with 883 through August last year.

Wichita had a record year with 500 thefts in 2020, only to be surpassed with 1,360 in 2021.

On Sept. 9, the police department released a list of the top vehicles targeted for converter thefts. Targeted means the thefts occurred or were attempted. Those vehicles:

▪ Ford F and E series made between 2000 to 2022 (59 cases)

▪ Toyota Tundra and Sequoia made between 2000 to 2022 (46 cases)

▪ Honda CR-V made between 1998 to 2007 (37 cases)

▪ Toyota Prius made between 2004 to 2010 (21 cases)

▪ Mitsubishi Outlander made between 2012 to 2022 (17 cases)

▪ Hyundai Santa Fe made between 2002 to 2009 (14 cases)

▪ Toyota Tacoma made between 1998 to 2020 (13 cases)

▪ Honda Element made between 2003 to 2010 (11 cases)

▪ Cadillac DTS made between 2006 to 2011 (11 cases)

Police have pointed to a couple of reasons for the rise in catalytic converter thefts: an increase in the prices of precious metals in the converters and a longtime gap in oversight at the state level.

One of the metals in converters, palladium, is worth more than gold.

The 2015 Scrap Metal Reduction Act was supposed to establish a statewide database that would require scrap metal businesses to register and log purchases. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation was to maintain the database and the Kansas Attorney General’s Office was to prosecute violations. But the database was not fully funded until July 2020. Then, there was confusion about whether catalytic converters were included in the law. That wasn’t resolved until an opinion from AG Derek Schmidt in May 2021.

Wichita police sent the AG’s office its first referral to prosecute a violation of the act in June 2021, the AG’s office previously said. The AG’s office did not respond to an email asking for more information about prosecuting violations.

It’s costly to replace a catalytic converter. According to Advance Auto Parts’ website, “some price aggregate sites show catalytic converter replacement costs as high as $2,000 or even $3,000 in some modern vehicles.”

Police have tried to raise awareness in different ways. One of those was using catalytic converter marking kits to etch unique numbers on vehicles. Police partnered with local dealerships last year to use those kits on 2,000 residents’ vehicles. The kits cost between $20 and $30 each.

Thieves can grind down or cover the number, but that should be a red flag to anyone who buys them.

Specially designed cages can also be used to protect the converters. Catalytic converter cages and etching kits can both be found online.

Police have also recommended installing bright motion lights or cameras to deter criminals from stealing your converter. The thefts often happen in driveways of homes. A person in Delano shot a man he found with a cordless drill under his truck earlier this year.