Highline students have reported multiple cases in which their catalytic converters have been stolen, becoming a campus security concern.

David Menke, the Director of Public Safety and Emergency Management, said that there have been three thefts, and one attempt, of catalytic converters since the start of the school year.

Menke and his team have been monitoring the rise of catalytic converter thefts these last two years. While the amount of incidents in Des Moines have been declining, the Highline area has had an increase in thefts, according to Menke.

“Their numbers are going down while our numbers are going up,” said Menke after speaking with the Des Moines Police Department. 

“[It could take] about five minutes to get a catalytic converter out. On a good day maybe three if they are a professional,” said Menke. 

Hybrid cars, like Toyota Prius, are the most high risk car to be targeted due to the presence of precious metals, making it more valuable to dealers. These parts can contain rare precious metals like platinum, rhodium, and palladium. 

Additionally, trucks and SUVs are also easy targets because they are higher off of the ground. This gives thieves easy access to slide under their victims’ cars and steal their converters.

The price of a new catalytic converter ranges from $300 to $2,475.

Here are five ways to prevent this from happening to you:

Etch your VIN

Thieves want an easy target that can’t be traced back to them. So if your converter stands out it becomes a huge red flag for the thieves. Etching out your VIN on your converter makes your converter known to scrap dealers and metal recyclers indicating that it, in fact, was stolen. 

Painting your converter

Painting your catalytic converter (using colors like high-temperature fluorescent orange paint) is another easy way to protect your converter from being stolen because reputable scrap metal dealers might decline it due to this.

Check in with insurance

Checking with your car insurance beforehand is a good way to ensure that you are covered if your converter is stolen, saving you hundreds or thousands of dollars.

Catalytic converter cage

Use an anti-theft device, like a catalytic converter cage. These cages are like a metal web all around the converter, taking more time to cut through and can create quite a bit of noise to alert people of the thieves. Catalytic converter cages can range in price from $180 to $300.

Catalytic converter shield

Another anti-theft device one can implement is a catalytic converter shield. The shield is a cover that is placed on the underside of the car and bolted down. Shield prices range from $200 to $600.