Local law enforcement reporting stolen catalytic converters an issue across the Upper Cumberland.

Overton County Sheriff Jason Garrett said that the issue was at its height during the pandemic. He said that it’s a crime that’s easy to commit and quick to accomplish.

“The price that they were getting for the catalytic converter, and it was for the materials inside the catalytic converter, was outrageous,” Garrett said. “So would-be thieves, and probably actually drug addicts, saw that as a way to make some quick money and possibly get a quick fix.”

Garrett said that it will be obvious as soon as you turn on your engineer that your vehicle no longer has a converter. He said that it will be loud, as if the whole muffler system is removed. Garrett said that depending on how your vehicle is set up, you might even notice the tailpipe on the ground.

Garrett said that the best way to protect oneself against this kind of theft is to make common sense-based decisions, such as parking in a well-populated area.

He said that a converter is something that can be replaced, but that it can be expensive.

“If you think your vehicle’s catalytic converter has been stolen, the best thing to do is call and report it to law enforcement,”