Catalytic Converter Theft Is A Texas Sized Problem, Just Ask This Temple Business Why

Catalytic converter thefts are on the rise in Texas, and one local business is the latest victim.

Another Ones Bites the Dust

Temple Furniture located at 711 S 1st St. is just one of the most recent victims of this new epidemic. On Wednesday, store worker Michael Dees discovered that the delivery truck's catalytic converter had been sawed off, making the vehicle inoperable.

Now the locally owned business is scrambling to find a quick solution. This auto part can be worth several hundred to several thousand dollars, and with just one delivery truck on hand, this could seriously hurt business. Employees will now use their personal vehicles for deliveries until the truck can be repaired.

"Talk about supporting small business," Dees stated in an interview.

Texas Isn't Facing This Alone

According to a report from State Farm, catalytic converters theft grew close to 293 percent nationwide from the second half of 2020 through the first half of 2021.

The state that suffered the most catalytic converter thefts is California, but Texas came in close, hitting the list at number 2.

First half of 2021 Claims | Cost

1. California: 3,805 | $8.7M
2. Texas: 1,380 | $2.6M
3. Minnesota: 736 | $1.1M
4. Washington: 619 | $960,000
5. Illinois: 593 | $850,000

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How To Protect Your Property

State Farm suggests the following in order to deter catalytic converter thefts:

• installing a sensitive alarm system
• having a security camera pointing at your car in its usual parking spot
• or engraving your VIN on your car’s catalytic converter

From a growth perspective, the situation is dire in Texas, where during 2020 there were 445 catalytic converter thefts reported by State Farm customers. For the first half of 2021, that number has ballooned to 1,380 - an almost 210 percent increase.

Protect your vehicle, and be on the lookout for suspicious activity.