News

Sep 18, 2023

Hackettstown NJ: Catalytic converters stolen from Amazon trucks

Hackettstown police are investigating the theft of 18 catalytic converters from

Hackettstown police are investigating the theft of 18 catalytic converters from Amazon delivery trucks parked at the same location over the weekend.

The devices were cut off trucks parked at an office property on Willow Grove Street between 8:30 p.m. Saturday and 10:15 a.m. Sunday, according to a news release Monday from the Hackettstown Police Department. The value of the stolen items is "in the thousands of dollars," police said.

An Amazon spokesperson could not immediately be reached for comment Monday afternoon.

The vehicles targeted were larger, boxier trucks similar to those used by companies like UPS, said Hackettstown Police Lt. Darren Tynan. Because of their size and the isolated area where they were parked, police believe the perpetrators were able to work relatively quickly and leave without alerting the public.

Hackettstown experienced some individual catalytic converter thefts last month, Tynan said, but this was by far the largest theft in terms of the number of trucks targeted.

Catalytic converters are used in vehicle exhaust systems to filter out harmful pollutants. They contain valuable metals like platinum, palladium and rhodium that can be worth significant money at scrap yards. They are located on the underside of vehicles, so thieves can use tools to steal them even if the vehicles are locked, Tynan said.

Theft claims of the devices rose by almost four-fold between 2020 and 2021, according to a November 2021 study by the Pew Charitable Trusts, which cited rising unemployment during the pandemic and a surge in the value of metals as factors. The same report cited an even higher increase from 2019, when 3,389 insurance claims were filed, to 2020, when the number jumped 326% to 14,443.

New Jersey lawmakers voted last month to require that vehicle identification numbers be stamped on catalytic converters as part of a series of measures designed to crack down on rising levels of auto theft. And individual towns like New Milford and Oradell in Bergen County have sponsored programs to etch license plate numbers or other identifiers onto the equipment.

The Hackettstown incident is still under investigation. Police are checking nearby surveillance cameras, and Tynan said anyone with footage from the area Saturday night or Sunday morning is urged to contact authorities.

Anyone with information on the thefts can call the Hackettstown Police Department at 908-852-3300. The public can also text "TIP HACKPD," followed by a message, to 888-777.

Kyle Morel is a local reporter covering Morris and Sussex counties.

Email: [email protected]; Twitter: @KMorelNJH