Data scientists revealed that catalytic converter thefts more than quadrupled during 2021. These crooks target dealerships because lots are filled with many, seemingly unattended vehicles in very close proximity.
In May’s Arrest of the Month video, we caught two people crawling under vehicles at a California car lot. We called police, who promptly arrived and made an arrest.
Just after 3:15 one morning, a trained ECAM security professional observed someone approaching a vehicle on a car lot. He crouched down beside it and crawled underneath. A second subject joined him by the car. Our monitoring operator sounded the onsite speaker warning and called police.
The pair then walked away from that vehicle and were spotted by a truck and other vehicles parked against the fence. Officers were at the property within minutes and made an arrest.
Proactively Deter Car Parts and Catalytic Converter Theft
Two minutes. That’s all the time it takes for a thief to steal a catalytic converter. Fitted to the exhaust of vehicles, catalytic converters are made of precious metals including gold, platinum, palladium and/or rhodium. At one point during 2021, rhodium was selling for $28,800 an ounce! No wonder thieves want catalytic converters.
A robust security system can help deter theft in progress. Remote video monitoring is an integrated approach to security that combines advanced video analytics and human intelligence. Video analytics are pre-programmed into best-in-class surveillance cameras that are strategically placed throughout your lot. This gives our highly trained security operators eyes across your entire property. If something suspicious happens, they can take immediate action.
In this video, as soon as it was determined that the two individuals were not workers, our monitoring operator sounded an on-site speaker warning to let them know they were being watched. They also called to dispatch police. Because police know we are watching live activity, they typically elevate the priority level of our calls. In this case, as well as in many others, it resulted in officers arriving while the suspects were still there. Quick response often means less damage and loss.
If you’re looking for a more effective security solution for your automotive dealership, contact us.
