WACO, Texas – Baylor University police are reporting an increase in catalytic converter thefts “on and around campus over the past several weeks,” a university social media post said Friday.
Noting it is part of a much-larger national trend, university police said the converters contain “precious metals and can be stolen from a vehicle in less than two minutes.”
“Thefts are occurring… day and night, but often occur in crowded parking lots with noise to cover up the additional noise made by the removal of the converters,” police said.
Six models of vehicles are most often targeted: Toyota Tundra, Toyota Prius, Toyota Tacoma, Ford F-250, and Honda Element, and Honda CRV, Baylor police said.
To reduce the opportunity for these incidents, Baylor police say community members should (as worded in the release):
- Park in well-lit areas.
- Park in a location that is visible to passersby.
- Return to check on vehicle at various times throughout the day.
- Report any suspicious behavior, such as an individual underneath a vehicle, or noises in parking lots and parking decks.
University police are encouraging those who see suspicious activity on or near campus to immediately contact BUPD at (254) 710-2222, or “9-1-1, or by using the BU Campus Guardian smartphone app.”
“Download the app to your phone by searching for Rave Guardian in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store,” the release said.
