Chula Vista police work to drive catalytic converter thefts even lower with free event

CHULA VISTA, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) — Catalytic converter theft isn’t anything new, but it's a real problem many throughout the county are still facing, and the Chula Vista Police Department wants to help put an end to it as it tracks a decline in cases over the past few years.

The department is getting ready to host its next Engrave & Save event on Saturday, Sept. 6 from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the city of Chula Vista Public Works Center where the first 250 registrants will receive free VIN number engraving on their catalytic converter to help deter thieves.

To register, you must meet the following conditions:

• Your vehicle must be currently registered (proof of vehicle registration is required).
• Only passenger vehicles qualify (no RVs).

Quick to access and remove, catalytic converters attract thieves looking to cash in and leaving victims with big repair costs. 

“I’ve seen them go from $700 or $800 for an aftermarket replacement all the way to $5,000 for a factory replacement," said Ray Frey, owner of Ray Frey Auto Center in Kearny Mesa.

Over the years, Frey has seen plenty of these repairs at his shop. He said the Toyota Prius and other low emissions vehicles like some of the Honda Accord models are prime targets for thieves. 

“They have more of the precious metals in them and they’re more valuable. I heard on the black market a used Toyota Prius catalytic converter is worth $750," said Frey.

However, he explained that fewer customers have shown up with stolen catalytic converters now compared to a few years ago. Chula Vista police are tracking that same trend.

“So far, and this is as of a couple days ago of running the numbers, we’re at 28,” said Sgt. Anthony Molina, Public Information Officer for the Chula Vista Police Department.

Molina said it's a big improvement from 2021 and 2022. 

“We were seeing numbers as high as 170 reported catalytic converter thefts,” he said.

The San Diego Police Department, the second largest in the county ahead of Chula Vista, is also seeing a decline with 108 reported thefts so far this year compared to 197 last year and 524 the year before. 

FOX 5/KUSI reached out to several other departments in the county. Here are the responses we received in time for this report.

• La Mesa Police Dept.: 15 reported thefts so far in 2025, 32 reported last year. 
• Oceanside Police Dept.: 35 reported thefts so far in 2025, 32 reported last year. 
• National City Police Dept.: 11 reported thefts so far in 2025, 26 reported last year. 
• El Cajon Police Dept.: 3 reported thefts so far in 2025, 9 reported last year. 

Molina said the numbers are down for many reasons.

“Multiple agencies started focusing on catalytic converter theft. there was a lot of public awareness. We were working with the actual recycling industry right,” he said.

Part of the larger strategy to curb catalytic converter theft includes the Engrave & Save initiative.

"The idea would be that a thief sees this and turns the other way," Molina said.

Meanwhile, Frey said it may deter some thieves, but not all as some criminals find ways around deterrent techniques. He recommended that drivers invest in a catalytic converter shield for another layer of security, which "cost between $100 and $200 for most car models."