Bernadine Wood is without a vehicle after someone cut and stole the catalytic converter from her car while it was parked in the lot at the Woodside Ferry.
“When I turned the engine on, the vehicle was making this horrible loud, roaring, rumbling noise and so I thought it was some other vehicle nearby,” said Wood.
But it was her car, and she wasn’t the only victim in the parking lot.
She heard another vehicle startup with a loud roar and she flagged the individual down and confirmed they too had their catalytic converter cut.
“There were definitely two of us and I have to think if there were two, there were likely more,” said Wood.
Theft of catalytic converters is a chronic crime in Halifax, and police say its important for people to report the theft.
“So that we can investigate and look into these incidents,” said Cst. John MacLeod with the Halifax Regional Police.
“But it’s equally important so that we are aware that the thefts are happening and so we can look at patterns of behavior and where the incidents are happening.”
Thieves target these exhaust devices because of the precious metals inside them said Tristan Roberts, who owns Catcore Atlantic Inc., a company that specializes in the recycling of catalytic converters.
“The main concentration that we are looking for is platinum, palladium, and rhodium,” said Roberts.
He says the theft issue is worse than it needs to be. Because there’s room for buyers and recyclers to make it much more difficult for thieves to sell the valuable auto part.
“The buyers have to do their due diligence,” said Roberts. “To make a record of the transaction.”
Roberts says he keeps a record of all purchases and asks for identification from sellers, but it’s not required by law in Nova Scotia.
He says legislative changes and more strict regulations would deter theft and sale of the devices.
“The fact that there’s a record of it and you are having to drop your ID off and attach it,” said Roberts. “That kind of transaction is probably not as exciting.”
Woods agrees, and says stricter regulations might erase the market and deter thieves.
Meanwhile, she’s not sure when she’ll get her car back from the mechanic.
“I’ve also been warned that he may not be able to get away. He said the parts are really hard to get right now,” said Wood.