City of Houston spend over $280K on catalytic converter thefts repairs and preventatives

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — The numbers don’t lie when it comes to catalytic converter thefts showing no signs of slowing down, as crooks keep coming for them in greater Houston.

Houston police said that in 2018, there were only 85 reported incidents of catalytic converter thefts in the city. In 2019, there were 375. In 2020, there were 1,793. By the end of June 2021, officers said there were 2,207 reported incidents.

The numbers show 216 city-owned vehicles were vandalized. In 2020, they reported 88 vehicles. This year to date, they reported 128 vehicles.

The cost of repairs and preventative measures is now $286,828.37. The city reports in 2020, they spent $49,185.78 on repairs. In 2021, they spent $247,642.59 which, broken down, includes $105,663.59 in repairs and $131,979 on deterrent measures.