Police Warn Of Catalytic Converter Thefts
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Chicago Police say, in the past two weeks, thieves have taken catalytic converters off almost a dozen vehicles on the North Side, hitting one Ravenswood street that's just a block from the mayor's house.
Police say almost all the thefts of catalytic converters happened late at night, or in the overnight hours.
Someone cut the devices off the vehicles, most likely because of the precious metals they contain – platinum, palladium and rhodium.
The Des Plaines-based National Insurance Crime Bureau says Chicago has been number-one in the country for stolen catalytic converters.
To try to put the brakes on that trend Chicago passed an ordinance two years ago to prohibit metal dealers from buying a catalytic converter that's not attached to a car.