If you drive a Ford F250 or a Jeep Liberty in New West, your vehicle may be at more risk.
The New Westminster Police Department reports that these vehicles – along with a Hyundai Santa Fe or Tucson – are being targeted for catalytic converter thefts in New West.
“In most cases, vehicles are targeted because they sit higher off the road making them more accessible for thieves to slide underneath and quickly remove the catalytic converter,” said NWPD spokesperson Sgt. Andrew Leaver.
According to Leaver, the New Westminster Police Department receives reports of catalytic converter thefts on a weekly basis. The police department encourages residents to be aware of suspicious persons loitering in parking lots or other unsecured areas where vehicles are parked – and to call police.
“We take property crime seriously and have committed numerous resources to specifically addressing catalytic converter thefts,” he said. “In February 2023, members of the New Westminster Police Department Crime Reduction Unit and Street Crime Units observed three individuals steal a catalytic converter after which, they were arrested and brought to New Westminster Police Department cells. We want catalytic converter thieves to know that this activity will not be tolerated in our city.”
Some thieves steal catalytic converters, part of a vehicle’s exhaust system, because they contain precious metals and can be sold to scrap metal dealers or the black market.
