LAFAYETTE, La. — The Lafayette Police Department says they are seeing an uptick of car break in's, but thieves are not looking for what's inside, but instead what's on the outside: catalytic converters.
It's not just an issue in Acadiana, but nationwide.
The car part is worth money because it's made of precious metals like platinum.
Stealing doesn't take much work or time and officials say catalytic converters can be taken within minutes.
Thieves are selling the stolen part.
LPD say they've seen an increase in this crime since the pandemic began and have seen up to 100 cases.
So here's advice to help protect yourself.
"Things we see have helped is park your vehicle in a garage in a fenced in area," said Sgt. Wayne Griffin, LPD public information officer. "Anything that's a well lit area they can park in or park by a surveillance video camera."
And a way to tell if your car is missing that part is when you turn it on, you'll hear a loud noise. Again, try to park in well lit areas like a garage or near surveillance cameras to better protect yourself.
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