Police warn vehicle owners of rise in catalytic converter thefts

File photo of a San Mateo County Sheriff car. File photo of a San Mateo County Sheriff car. Photo: Andrei Stanescu/Getty Images Photo: Andrei Stanescu/Getty Images Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Police warn vehicle owners of rise in catalytic converter thefts 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

SAN MATEO (BCN)

Police in San Mateo are urging vehicle owners to beware of thieves looking to steal catalytic converters.

On Thursday, police said they've been responding to an unusually high number of catalytic converter thefts across the city.

The converters are valuable because they contain several types of recyclable materials that can be easily scrapped for a quick profit, according to police.

Police believe when the price of scrap metal, like platinum, rise the thefts increase.

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Thieves usually target trucks or SUVs because they're higher ground clearance allow thieves easier access underneath. But, police said, currently they're seeing thieves targeting Toyotas, particularly Prius cars.

In order to avoid being a target, police recommend vehicle owners park their cars in well-lit areas that can easily be seen by passersby.

Owners can also install a catalytic converter protection device that will make it harder to take.

Also, owners are recommended to etch their converter with their vehicle identification number in several different locations, so that police can track the converter if it's stolen.

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