Thieves are sliding under parked cars again, and the NYPD says New York drivers need to get ahead of them. On Wednesday, the 122nd Precinct warned that catalytic converter thefts are climbing across the city and laid out a handful of low-cost ways to make vehicles less tempting targets. The advisory focused on simple moves that either make a converter tougher to steal or harder to unload, from etching to add-on anti-theft hardware. Since thieves can cut a converter out in just a few minutes, the result for owners is usually loud, undriveable cars and pricey repairs. Police are also reminding anyone who sees a theft in progress to call 911 right away.
In a post on X, the 122nd Precinct urged drivers to park in well lit areas, etch a vehicle's license plate number or VIN onto the catalytic converter, and install anti-theft devices that slow thieves down, according to NYPD's 122nd Precinct. The message also flagged that free etching events are sometimes available and that reporting suspicious activity helps officers get to a scene faster. These are the same basic tactics police departments around the region have been pushing since the catalytic converter theft wave peaked a few years ago.
Why converters are a target
Catalytic converters contain small amounts of platinum, palladium and rhodium, metals that pull in high prices on the secondary market, which is why thieves focus on them, as outlined by the governor's office. Market swings matter here: prices for rhodium and related platinum group metals rebounded in late 2025 and early 2026, a shift that analysts say can bring opportunistic thefts back to city streets, according to Trading Economics. That mix of valuable metals and quick in-and-out theft techniques keeps catalytic converter crime on the NYPD's radar even as laws and etching programs try to make reselling stolen parts more difficult.
What police are doing
The NYPD has been running free etching and labeling events that permanently mark converters so they can be traced, and officials say those programs cut into the parts' resale value, according to NY1. Precincts are also leaning on community tips and dialing up patrols in known hot spots, while recent enforcement efforts have gone after illegal networks that traffic in stolen converters. That blend of targeted policing and consumer protections helped drive theft numbers down after the surge in 2022, although law enforcement officials warn that another bump in metal prices could shift the trend again.
How drivers can protect their cars
Officers say drivers should stick with the straightforward steps highlighted in the latest advisory: park in well lit spots or secure garages, etch a VIN or plate number into the converter, and consider a catalytic converter shield or a vibration sensitive alarm that forces thieves to spend more time under the car. The New York State DMV and other agencies also recommend etching and have promoted etching kits to both dealers and individual owners, which helps investigators link recovered converters to the vehicles they came from, according to the DMV. Anyone who spots suspicious behavior, including people working under a car late at night or vehicles circling the same block, is urged to call 911 and, if it is safe, note license plate numbers and basic descriptions for police.
Legal and policy tools
State officials have paired on the ground police work with new rules aimed at shrinking the market for stolen catalytic converters, including reporting requirements for scrap dealers and etching programs, according to the governor's office. Lawmakers have also pursued bills that would require serial numbers on new converters, including one bill filed in 2025 that would require manufacturers to stamp converters with unique IDs beginning in 2026 so they are easier to trace if stolen. The goal is to make stolen parts tougher to sell and to give investigators a cleaner paper trail when they go after rings that profit from cutting converters off New Yorkers' cars.
