Catalytic converters stolen from facility used by Akron police

A thief broke into an Akron police facility and stole catalytic converters off of seven vehicles.

According to a police report, the theft happened at a facility the department owns in North Akron. 

On Sept. 2, police discovered that someone cut a hole in a fence and got onto the property. 

Catalytic converters were stolen off of trucks, vans and SUVs stored on the property. Some were owned by the police department, others were owned by Summit County.

None of the vehicles were cruisers or active police vehicles, according to the report. 

No arrests have been announced. 

A new bill in the Ohio House was introduced in September as a way to curb rising catalytic converter thefts.

Rep. Bob Young, R-Green introduced House Bill 408, which would ban the sale of catalytic converters without proof of ownership. 

Replacing a catalytic converter can cost thousands of dollars, and driving around without one releases harmful emissions into the environment. Catalytic converters are easy to steal, and policing these thefts is difficult. The converters don't have identification numbers, so they are difficult to recover. 

Reach reporter Sean McDonnell at 330-996-3186 or smcdonnell@thebeaconjournal.com.