CATALYTIC CONVERTER STOLEN FROM WASHINGTON CO. BOYS & GIRLS CLUB BUS

  

The Boys and Girls Club of Washington County is seeking assistance from the community after a catalytic converter was stolen from one of its buses.

Boys and Girls Club Executive Director Stephanie Wehring said the theft is believed to have occurred overnight on February 2^nd, the night before last week’s freeze began.

Wehring said the theft was discovered on Monday by one of the club’s staff members as she was preparing to take out the bus to pick up children.

 

According to Wehring, this is the second time since September 2020 that a catalytic converter has been stolen from one of the club’s buses.  A report has been filed with the Brenham Police Department, and police are examining surveillance footage.

Catalytic converter thefts have been on the rise across the nation, as the exhaust control devices are sought after for the metals they contain, like rhodium, platinum and palladium.  The converters can be sold for around $300 apiece at scrap yards, recycling centers or underground markets; meanwhile, Wehring expects the club will have to pay around $1,000 to replace theirs.

Wehring said the converter was taken from the club’s newest bus, and while the club does have two other passenger vans, she said they have a lot of wear and tear and are needing to be replaced soon.  She said the club would be thankful for any help the public could provide.

 

So far this year, according to Brenham Police Community Resource Officer Sierra Randle, the department has documented two catalytic converter thefts, with one of them at the Boys and Girls Club.  Update @ 2 p.m. Friday: Information obtained from a public information request filed Thursday with the City of Brenham indicated a total of 27 catalytic converter thefts were reported in 2021.