BERKELEY — Thefts of catalytic converters from parked vehicles have increased significantly in the last few weeks, police said Thursday.
In a news release, police said since July 20 there have been at least 20 such thefts from vehicles — a majority of them Toyota Priuses — parked on streets throughout the city, mostly between 2 and 5 a.m. The most thefts reported in one day were five on Monday, police said.
Toyota Prius models between 2000 and 2009 have been the target the majority of the time, police said.
Police said it appears the thieves take advantage of the lighter weight of the Prius that makes it easier to lift with a floor jack, which is apparently how each targeted vehicle has been raised so that the suspects could access the converter.
Police said thieves will typically use a small portable reciprocating saw to quickly — usually within a few minutes — remove the converter before fleeing.
Officer Byron White said thieves can get $100 to $200 per converter by selling them to crooked mechanics or scrap yards where they can be melted down for their precious metal.
The cost of replacing one can be in excess of $1,000 authorities said.
In light of the increased thefts, police are encouraging residents to consider several things.
They include parking in your home garage, using or adding a motion-sensing light to illuminate your driveway if that is where the vehicle is parked and parking in a well-lit area if you have to park on the street
Police are also urging that if you see something suspicious such as a person working on the underside of a car in the middle of the night along with the sound of a power saw, report it right away.