According to report from MissionLocal, the incident may have taken place in the wee hours on Monday, and was discovered by police personnel on Monday afternoon. That's when an officer discovered that a marked police truck was missing the notoriously valuable emissions control device.
"On September 12, 2022, at approximately 1 p.m., a San Francisco Police Officer discovered a marked police truck parked in the area of 16th Street and De Haro Street had its catalytic converter stolen," the SFPD media relations department confirmed. "The officer inspected other police vehicles, and discovered that another marked police truck and two marked police vans also had their catalytic converters stolen."
Complete and utter lawlessness!
— Stanley Roberts (@StanleyRoberts) September 14, 2022
How else does one explain the balls it took to steal catalytic converters from fully marked police cruisers https://t.co/WR4jtDnY12
The thieves were extremely bold to rob the Special Operations Bureau building at 17th and DeHaro, which is not only home to the SWAT Team but also the bomb squad. Even though there's no signage declaring it as such, many police vehicles surround the station unsubtly. Additionally, DeHaro and Carolina Street both have parking signs that read "police vehicles only."
The police note that no arrests have been made and this remains an open investigation.
Catalytic converters may be valued at more than $1,000 each because of their internal components, which are especially valuable metals. They're often targeted by thieves because they can be quickly and easily removed with a power tool, and then sold for scrap.
