Auto experts work on ways to prevent catalytic converter theft Numbers from the Pierce County Sheriffs Department show that more converters have been stolen in the past six months than in the past two years combined. Author: Lionel Donovan (KING) Updated: 7:23 PM PDT June 17, 2021 TACOMA, Wash. — Catalytic converters are a hot ticket item on the black market, and as a result, Pierce County has seen a dramatic rise in catalytic converter thefts. Numbers from the Pierce County Sheriffs Department show that more converters have been stolen in the past six months than in the past two years combined. The device, about two feet long, removes pollutants from a vehicle’s exhaust. It contains precious metals like palladium and rhodium, which are more valuable than gold.