Thieves with power tools are wreaking havoc under St. Albert cars.
Courtney Bornowsky’s fiancé awakened early in Braeside last Monday to the strange sound of power tools outside.
He went to a window and saw what looked like a newer silver SUV with a person inside, parked and blocking their driveway.
As he opened the window to ask what they were doing, two men and a woman slithered out from under the neighbour’s truck, hopped in the SUV and drove off.
They were carrying tools — and a catalytic converter they could hawk for $300, leaving behind $21,000 worth of damage.
“It’s horrible,” Bornowsky said.
“I get it, everybody’s struggling, but you’re literally putting people into a complete hole. It’s so sad. Find a better flippin’ hobby.”
Close to main getaway arteries, and with over a dozen vehicles among near neighbours, Bornowsky’s quiet neighbourhood was a target-rich harvest.
Her unlucky neighbours found shards of metal on their driveway. They were quoted $21,000 for the repair of their new truck.
The crime has set the neighbours on edge, prompting increased security and an abundance of caution.
Desperation seems to be making thieves brazen. One of Bornowsky’s friends had her catalytic converter taken while she was parked at Summit Centre Plaza. Another had hers stolen while she was in Costco for an hour in the middle of the day.
“Over the last two weeks, St. Albert RCMP have received eight thefts of catalytic converters and one attempted theft,” said Cst. MJ Burroughs.
There were three taken from cars in Forest Lawn, and one each in Oakmont, Braeside, Liberton Drive, St. Albert Trail (south end) and Woodlands, as well as one attempted theft in Akinsdale.
“Catalytic converter thefts are still trending throughout Alberta, including St. Albert,” Burroughs said.
“Money is the main motivation for catalytic converter thieves. The metals found within catalytic converters are some of the most expensive materials,” she said.
As part of a car’s exhaust system, catalytic converters change fuel pollutants to less toxic substances to go out in the exhaust. Their value is found in metals like palladium, platinum and rhodium.
It only takes a minute or two for a thief, or team of two or three speedy thieves, to scoot under a car and use a cordless saw to slice off a catalytic converter and be gone before the owner has a clue.
Meanwhile it can take precious moments for a sleepy and surprised resident to register the sound, get to a window, grasp there’s a strange vehicle parked there and a light under a neighbour’s vehicle.
When started later, an engine robbed of its catalytic converter typically makes a terrible racket, alerting the owner — too late — of the theft.
An RCMP list has tips for preventing catalytic converter theft. Park in well-lit areas close to public entrances, regularly move your car's spot or park inside a garage. Install an anti-theft device on the vehicle, and motion-sensitive lights and cameras in your parking area.
If you’re up for shinnying under your car, another preventive measure is painting your catalytic converter.
Theft of a catalytic converter falls under punishment for theft, Section 334 of the Canadian Criminal Code.
In 2020, Alberta passed the Scrap Metal Dealers and Recyclers Identification Act in an effort to quell the cycle of theft to resale.
The act forbids scrap metal dealers or recyclers from purchasing scrap metal from anyone who doesn’t meet age eligibility requirements for scrap metal transactions.
Within 24 hours of purchasing or receiving restricted metal, or scrap metal over a certain weight, a scrap metal dealer or recycler has to let law enforcement know.
They may have to hold the material instead of reselling it.
“St. Albert RCMP encourage the public to report any criminal or suspicious activity. Reports tell us where to look, who to look for, and where to patrol in the future,” Burroughs said.
