MARYVILLE, Tenn. — The Maryville Police Department said catalytic converters were stolen from two businesses on Robert C. Jackson Drive recently.
"In one business, there was, like, five vehicles that were targeted and their catalytic converters were stolen," said Lt. Rod Fernandez with MPD.
According to police reports, the suspects stole around $10,000 worth of converters. Police say these parts are targeted for their precious metals.
"They have precious metals, rhodium, platinum, and palladium. And those precious metals are sold as scrap yard places," said Fernandez. "It's just cutting it from underneath. They know what they're looking for."
He also said thieves can steal catalytic converters within seconds of going underneath a car. Investigators said people can take steps to prevent thefts, such as parking in well-lit and visible areas with either vehicle traffic or foot traffic.
Laws passed in 2021 also aim to prevent catalytic converter thefts. Fernandez said they have helped reduce the number of thefts by making sure people who sell metals from them provide additional documentation.
"They make the person that is selling the metal, they have to provide identification, a picture of themselves. And there's some tracking that is done in that in the transaction," said Fernandez.
MPD also said security camera footage can also be invaluable when investigating cases involving catalytic converter thefts.
"When we have video, we can see the person committing it. We can see the vehicle they're in, we can see what they look like," said Fernandez.