During a presentation to the Manhattan City Commission this week Riley County Police Director Dennis Butler talked about the problem of theft of catalytic converters from vehicles. He noted that this involves a group of organized people traveling from city to city. "The reason why you've seen such a dramatic increase in these thefts is that in the last 12 months the price of palladium which is one of the precious metals that is used in catalytic converters to clean the emissions has more than quadrupled in price." Butler stated that one year ago a stolen catalytic converter brought $200, but now depending on the vehicle that price can go from $500 to $1,000 apiece.
Butler said cars like Toyota Prius are prime targets because with their low emissions they use more palladium in their catalytic converters, and that is known by the thieves. He added there are mechanisms you can purchase to protect your vehicle. "But really the driving factor is the cost of palladium."