Thefts of costly catalytic converters start to hit Wis. area car dealers

Over the past 10 months, the Green Bay Police Department has investigated seven cases of catalytic converters stolen off vehicles. De Pere and Ashwaubenon police departments have dealt with a handful of cases involving theft of the seemingly innocuous piece of a automotive hardware. Those thefts, and several similar incidents in the Fox Cities in recent weeks, police say, are part of a strategy by thieves to sell precious metals contained in the pollution-control devices to scrap dealers and recyclers. Lt. Jody Crocker of Ashwaubenon Public Safety said the thefts are something that department and others in the region are keeping tabs on.“In the last year, I don’t think we’ve had more than a couple,” Crocker said. “When it happens, it concerns you that it’s going to happen more. But knocking on wood, we haven’t had any lately.