The theft of catalytic converters

from cars has been growing over

the past few years. The converters,

part of the emissions control system, are

coated with a variety of rare and precious

metals to convert unburned hydrocarbons

in exhaust into carbon dioxide and water.

Thieves found that with a little practice

and an electric saw they can slide under a

car, take out the converter and be gone in

a couple of minutes. They can sell the converters

to salvage shops and recyclers for a

few hundred dollars.

They also leave the car owner with

a very expensive repair bill. It can cost

around $1,500 to replace a converter.

A couple of converter thieves in St. Paul

last weekend left one car owner with more

than a big bill. When the car owner interrupted

them and chased them in a car, they

shot him. The man suffered wounds to the

arm and chest, but is expected to survive.

The state needs to make it harder to

profit from this crime. Converters should

all have ID numbers on them so they can

be connected to thefts when police find

someone with a trunk full. Possession of

a converter that’s not on a car should be

illegal. Salvage shops should be required to

get copies of IDs and photos of those trying

to sell them.

This should be a statewide effort — catalytic

converters are being stolen out in

Greater Minnesota, too. Blue Earth County

arrested a pair of suspects a week or so

ago. The state legislature needs to make

it impossible to make a quick buck off of

stealing catalytic converters.