A series of cars turning up with critical parts removed and stolen is pressuring the Department of Public Safety to increase patrols and take a closer look at the security of cars parked around campus.

Thieves in search of the precious metals found in catalytic converters hit three Toyotas in four days parked in the area surrounding campus, leaving the vehicles in violation of emissions laws and the owners out between $600 and $1,300.

On Nov. 6, a 4Runner and a Tacoma had their catalytic converters cut off and removed from the chassis. Both vehicles were parked on Junipero Serra Boulevard near the intersection of Holloway Avenue. On Nov. 10, a 4Runner was reportedly found in the same state on in lot 25 on Winston Drive, stripped of the pricey component. Catalytic converters are designed to clean the exhaust from engines before releasing it into the air and are necessary for passing smog tests.

All vehicles were less than five years old. According to Captain Reggie Parson of the University police, two victims were SF State students and one was a staff member. University police have no suspects and no leads at this time.

Inspector Rich Van Koll of the San Francisco Police Department said incidents like these have been on the rise over the past 18 months, and SFPD recently arrested a group of "cat" thieves out of Hayward connected with multiple occurrences.

"It's generally Toyotas, or any four-wheel drive," Van Koll said. "They get a Sawzall and cut it right off in a matter of minutes."

Van Koll said that in order for someone to be able to remove the catalytic converter from a car, the vehicle must have been parked for a long period of time, because catalytic converters can remain too hot to touch for hours after turning off the ignition.

SFPD has recommended that drivers inscribe their license number on the outside of the part, but realize that not everyone has the ability to do this.

"Tracing those back is very difficult," Van Koll said, "but we've informed junk yards and metal shops around the city to keep an eye out for items that may be stolen."

According to Andre Yazbek, owner of Andre's Foreign Car Service on Taraval Street, Toyotas are a make of car notorious for their easily accessed catalytic converter.
However, Yazbek said after the "cat" is removed, they aren't of much use to auto mechanics, and aren't worth much more than $50-$75.

"I can't use it. Once it's been cut, I can't put it back on," Yazbek said.

He said instead, thieves target this specific part for the amount of valuable metals inside, usually platinum or palladium, used to detoxify hot car exhaust with the resulting chemical reaction making the average catalytic converter an easily swiped metal payday worth about $200 on the black market.

Yazbek said the procedure is a simple one taking a few moments, provided the victim's car possess sufficient ground clearance for someone equipped with an electric saw to slide under and work quickly.

Car owners will immediately notice if their vehicle has been tampered with. Engines without catalytic converters will run significantly louder than normal.

Without the "cat," a car will actually run more efficiently due to a less restricted airflow from the engine, however it will spew pollutants into the air at a faster rate than a normal car and will never pass a smog check.

Drivers can be issued a "fix-it" ticket, run into problems at the DMV for not clearing a smog check and may have to surrender the vehicle if unable to pass.

According to autoblog.com, consumers have had success deterring the theft of this piece by spot-welding it to the rest of the exhaust system.