Another Break in Cirby Side Neigborhood

Sometime overnight (June 7), thieves went into unlocked vehicles in the 1100 block of Kris Way and the 900 block of Keith Drive and stole music CDs, registration documents and a garage door opener. A front door was kicked in and robbed at another address. I don't have anymore details other than that at this time. If you have any details, let me know.

Roseville catalytic converter theft on the rise once again

By Toby Lewis, The Press Tribune Roseville police have once again seen an increase in catalytic converter thefts, with at least four reported in the past week. “We’ve gone for quite a while where the catalytic converter thefts were fairly rare and we’re now seeing them again,” said Dee Dee Gunther of the Roseville Police Department. “It’s a recurring problem everywhere.” Gunther said the amount of thefts in the city seems to coincide with the rise and fall of the going rate for precious metals. “When metal prices get high, demand goes up and so the thefts go up,” Gunther said. A catalytic converter uses three precious metals — platinum, palladium and rhodium — to create a chemical reaction that cleans and controls the emissions coming from a vehicle. As of Thursday, the going price for platinum was $1,415 per ounce, while palladium was going for $613 per ounce. Gunther said thieves most often target Toyota pickups and SUVs, and other vehicles that are high off the ground and easy to access. Thieves crawl under the vehicles, unbolt or saw the converters off and then sell them to metal recyclers. Most of the thefts occur at night in both residential neighborhoods and commercial areas, Gunther said. Police have been working over the past several months not only to combat metal theft, but also against scrap metal recyclers who are operating outside the law and feeding the demand for stolen metal, Gunther said. Roseville police have already arrested three metal dealers this year either for receiving stolen property or for allegedly violating California’s Business and Profession’s Code by not keeping records of sales. Gunther said the best way to protect your vehicle is to keep it in a locked garage overnight. She also said etching an ID number into the catalytic converter itself would be helpful for police to track it back to its owner in the event a suspected thief is caught. “It’s helpful if we catch a thief right away before he gets to a recycler or before he has a chance to take it apart,” she said. Toby Lewis can be reached at tobyl@goldcountrymedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TobyLewis_RsvPT