Davis police are reporting an uptick in thefts of catalytic converters, especially among Toyota Prius hybrid cars.There have been more than 40 catalytic converters stolen in Davis since January, according to police.Thieves target the pollution control devices in a car's exhaust system because of the precious metals inside including platinum, palladium and rhodium.Prius catalytic converters have a higher amount of the metals than other vehicles, making them more valuable on the black market.Police said it takes skilled thieves just over a minute to cut the devices from a car's underside.They can sell for hundreds of dollars and unfortunately cost the victims thousands in repairs.Police are leaning on recycling facilities to stop taking the devices unless they have verified documentation of where the device came from.It is a difficult crime to investigate."Your car has many parts and I’m sure you don’t have serial numbers for all these parts --that’s one of the issues. Even if we find someone with a trunk full of parts, trying to track them down to the victim is very challenging because there is no tracking," said Davis police spokesman Paul Doroshov. Mechanics can attach devices making them more difficult for thieves to steal and may deter them from trying.Police said securing your vehicle indoors and keeping an active neighborhood watch are good deterrents as well.

Davis police are reporting an uptick in thefts of catalytic converters, especially among Toyota Prius hybrid cars.

There have been more than 40 catalytic converters stolen in Davis since January, according to police.


Thieves target the pollution control devices in a car's exhaust system because of the precious metals inside including platinum, palladium and rhodium.

Prius catalytic converters have a higher amount of the metals than other vehicles, making them more valuable on the black market.

Police said it takes skilled thieves just over a minute to cut the devices from a car's underside.

They can sell for hundreds of dollars and unfortunately cost the victims thousands in repairs.

Police are leaning on recycling facilities to stop taking the devices unless they have verified documentation of where the device came from.

It is a difficult crime to investigate.

"Your car has many parts and I’m sure you don’t have serial numbers for all these parts --that’s one of the issues. Even if we find someone with a trunk full of parts, trying to track them down to the victim is very challenging because there is no tracking," said Davis police spokesman Paul Doroshov.

Mechanics can attach devices making them more difficult for thieves to steal and may deter them from trying.

Police said securing your vehicle indoors and keeping an active neighborhood watch are good deterrents as well.