Brighton Police report 4 recent catalytic converter thefts

BRIGHTON, N.Y. (WHEC) — The Brighton Police Department says four catalytic converters have been stolen in the last week.

Two were taken from vehicles on West Squire Drive in the Rustic Village Apartments and two were taken from cars parked off of West Henrietta Road.

There is a new law in Monroe County that will increase fines for those caught stealing the parts, and scrapyards are required to keep more records when accepting the parts, as well as delay payments to sellers.

Thefts of converters have been on the rise in Monroe County and nationwide for about a year now.

The part has valuable metals inside, including platinum. They sell for hundreds of dollars at scrap yards, but many areas require vehicles to have them to pass inspections and repairing a vehicle that has had its converter stolen can cost thousands.