© 2025 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY
WEDW-FM · WNPR · WPKT · WRLI-FM
Public Files Contact · ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

The trend continues: Over two dozen catalytic converters stolen from East Hartford school buses

A brand new catalytic converter sits on the floor at Johnny Franklin's Muffler on July 11, 2022 in San Rafael, California. Thefts of catalytic converters are surging across the nation as thieves seek out precious metals like platinum, palladium and rhodium that fill the inside of the antipollution car part. Thefts have nearly tripled since the beginning of the pandemic with over 50,000 in 2021 compared to under 20,000 in 2020. Vehicle owners are having to pay thousands of dollars to replace the stolen parts and in some cases can't get the parts due to supply chain issues.
Justin Sullivan
/
Getty Images
A brand-new catalytic converter sits on the floor at Johnny Franklin's Muffler on July 11, 2022, in San Rafael, California. Thefts of catalytic converters are surging across the nation as thieves seek out precious metals like platinum, palladium and rhodium that fill the inside of the antipollution car part. Thefts have nearly tripled since the pandemic began, with over 50,000 in 2021 compared to under 20,000 in 2020. Vehicle owners are having to pay thousands of dollars to replace the stolen parts and in some cases can't get them due to supply chain issues.

Connecticut is experiencing a continuation of catalytic converter theft, with more being taken from vehicles in parking lots. Thieves are stealing the converters for their precious metals and selling them either online or on the black market. Replacing a catalytic converter can cost between $2,500 and $4,000.

Recently, over two dozen catalytic converters were stolen from school buses parked in a lot in East Hartford. These buses served Capital Region Education Council (CREC) schools.

While the bus operators were able to find coverage for the affected vehicles, CREC representatives say other districts and schools have experienced delays and cancellations due to these thefts.

East Hartford Police stated that no arrests have been made. Detectives are going through video surveillance and other evidence.

Jean Cronin, executive director of the Connecticut School Transportation Association (COSTA), says this theft “trend” started during the pandemic and is getting worse.

“But what we’re finding is that they’re not necessarily bringing them to scrap dealers in Connecticut,” Cronin said. “They’re usually very sophisticated rings of thieves that are working and bringing these converters out of state. Oftentimes we’re finding out from law enforcement that they’re bringing these converters into New York and then are getting shipped out in container ships to other countries.

“So it’s very sophisticated, and the frustration is catching them. Most of the yards have fences, they have cameras, but unless the police are there and you actually catch the person in the act of stealing it, there’s not much you can do,” Cronin said.

Sergeant Christine Jeltema with the Connecticut State Police says that while East Hartford is not a part of the department’s jurisdiction, this kind of theft often has many contributing factors.

“What we tell people is to have your vehicle in a well-lit area, if it’s at home or in a parking lot, so that could be a deterrent,” Jeltema said. “If it is a fleet of vehicles, there’s a way to secure them, if there’s fencing around the fleet and secure that, that’s also a deterrent as well. If anybody sees something suspicious, always call 911. We really rely heavily on the communities and the public to be our eyes and ears out there. Anything suspicious or if they see something ... call 911 immediately and try to get a description as best as possible.”

Police rely on these tips to help them identify who’s working on a vehicle legitimately or who may be in the process of stealing parts.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

Related Content
Connecticut Public’s journalism is made possible, in part by funding from Jeffrey Hoffman and Robert Jaeger.