Over the weekend, (Feb. 28-29) there were seven different incidents reported to Ashland University’s Safety Services Department that the catalytic converters were stolen from certain vehicles on campus.

All seven of these converters belonged to students who own Chevy Cavaliers.  The vehicles were parked in lots B, G, J, and K.

A catalytic converter is located under a car and is an emissions control device that converts toxic gases and pollutants in exhaust gas to less toxic pollutants by catalyzing a redox reaction.  

The car part is made from metals including platinum and rhodium, which have most recently increased in value, making it one of the more popular choices for thieves to steal and sell for scrap metal to recycling yards. 

The replacement of this part can cost up $1,000 including labor. A car owner can usually tell right away when their catalytic converter is missing because when they start their vehicle it will sound loud, rather than the normal hum their car usually makes.

Students affected by this situation are expressing concern, especially with spring break coming right around the corner.

“I am pretty concerned especially considering that in three days I will be traveling back home to Canada, which is a six and a half hour drive,” junior Jacqueline Tanguay said. “If this part of my car was missing, I would not be able to get home to see my family over spring break.”

In hopes to prevent the situation from continuing, Safety Services has set some changes in order to keep a closer eye on both the Chevy Cavaliers and all other cars on campus. 

The Dispatch Department at AU sent an email notifying every student who has registered their car as a Chevy Cavalier to notify them of the situation and also suggest they move their vehicles to a lot closer to a residence hall so Safety can keep a closer eye on them. The students are advised to keep their vehicle there until Spring Break, but return it to its assigned lot by March 13. 

The Safety Services Department is currently investigating the situation in hopes to narrow down the mystery to these stolen parts and hopefully prevent the situation from becoming a normal campus occurrence. 

If students have any further questions concerning these incidents, they are encouraged to contact Ashland University’s Safety Services Department at [email protected].