WHAT HEELS!: A New Kind Of Carjacking
Maybe metal thieves are wising up about the dangers of stealing high-voltage power cables, because they are now targeting catalytic converters and fire hydrants, reports The Washington Post:
Crooks armed with saws have been crawling under cars to steal the emissions control devices, which contain the precious metal and can be sold at scrap yards. …
Fire hydrants have also been targeted by metal thieves, who disable them for the brass nuts.
A rise in metal prices has spawned a black market nationwide for metal theft, particularly catalytic converters, said Bruce Savage of the District-based Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries. "I have heard that they get anywhere from $70 to $200," he said. …
Fire hydrants also qualify as easy targets, but they are less lucrative than converters. Thieves get about $10 for the brass nuts, fire officials say, but they are rendering the hydrants inoperable in the process, creating a public safety risk.
Auto insurance policies cover the $500 to $2,500 cost to replace a catalytic converter.
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