When you live in the Bay Area, and you own a car, you’re almost certainly familiar with the constant anxiety of possible car break-ins. 

But nothing can prepare you for the grinding sound you hear when a certain part is stolen from underneath your vehicle. Today, we talk about catalytic converter thefts. 

According to data from the National Insurance Crime Bureau, converter thefts have heightened in the last few years across the country, from 1,298 reported thefts in 2018 to 52,206 in 2021. 

And according to data from a 2021 report by the Bureau of Automotive Repair, there are about 16,000 converter thefts in California each month. The theft of a catalytic converter usually takes minutes using tools like a pipe wrench or Sawzalls, making it easy for thefts to happen quickly and without interference. 

In this episode of “Bay Current," KCBS Radio’s Sydney Fishman spoke with her mother, Ann Edwards, who had a traumatic incident with a converter theft in Oakland last summer. She also speaks with Danny, the owner of Bay Area Auto Repair in Oakland, and Lieutenant Ray Kelly, the Chief of Staff of Public Information at Alameda County Sheriff's Office.

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