Published May 05. 2021 8:14PM Christine Dempsey, Hartford Courant As drivers across the state and nation pay the price for soaring catalytic converter thefts — the latest rendering more than two dozen Greater Hartford Transit buses inoperable — one police department suggests owners mark theirs to discourage thieves from sliding under their cars, sawing them off and selling them to scrap dealers. Manchester police on Tuesday said vehicle owners should consider labeling their catalytic converters, which use precious metals and chemical reactions to clean exhaust. The value of those metals has gone up, climbing steeply during the coronavirus pandemic, with recyclers shelling out $50 to $250 per converter, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau.