Nine catalytic converters have been stolen from Indian Prairie School District 204 vehicles — seven from school buses and two food service trucks — and two others were taken from employee cars while parked in district lots, officials said.
The thefts are part of an ongoing problem being seen in Naperville and throughout the state and country as criminals target the exhaust system devices, which are easy to remove and can fetch a lot of money because of the metals they contain.
The District 204 vehicles were being stored at the lockup area on Naperville’s north side when they were targeted Oct. 31.
“Our vehicles were parked within a fenced enclosure with barbed wire on top,” Superintendent Adrian Talley told the school board earlier this month when reporting the thefts. “Nevertheless, the thieves cut through the chain-link fence to get to the vehicles.”
Despite the vehicles being out of commission, the district was still able to deliver students and food services on time, Ron Johnson, D204 director of support operations, said via email.
“We utilized a combination of routing strategies by combining routes in the area as needed, running sweeper routes and double turn routes,” he said. “All students arrived to their assigned buildings on time before the bell rang.”
The cost to replace each converters will run anywhere from $2,700 to $6,000, depending on the make and model, Johnson said.
District officials are also working on ways to beef up security at the places where vehicles are stored, he said.
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“The criminals have found methods to circumvent the secured lots at these facilities,” Johnson said. “We added an electric fence to one of our facilities and that has reduced the amount of theft at that location this year. We are discussing and evaluating other options.”
District officials said two employees had their catalytic converters stolen while their vehicles were parked in district lots during school hours. For security reasons, the district did not disclose more details.
“We ask everyone to remain vigilant and to keep us informed if you see something or know something,” Talley said.
Naperville police Cmdr. Michaus Williams, also speaking via email, said the theft of catalytic converters is an issue across the country.
“This is not a problem unique to Naperville and will continue as long as there is a market for thieves to make money,” he said.
There have been 48 converter thefts between July 1 and Oct. 1 in Naperville, with thieves mostly targeting industrial areas and parking lots, Williams said.
The police have come up with suggested guidelines to help people avoid being victimized. They include:
Pay attention to suspicious people in the area. Call 911 immediately if someone is observed hanging around vehicles because often one thief serves a lookout while another is under the vehicle.
Listen for power tools in use during the overnight hours.
Lock the vehicle and set the alarm. Increase alarm sensitivity if possible.
Park in a well-lit spot.
Engrave or paint your vehicle’s VIN number on the catalytic converter so police identify the owner if the converter is recovered.
Paint the catalytic converter with high temperature automotive exhaust spray in a bright color.
Install a catalytic converter shield as an anti-theft measure.
Check your car insurance to make sure you have full coverage.
Joseph Ruzich is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.