Public Safety Responded to two catalytic converter thefts on North Haven
February 22, 2023
HAMDEN, Conn. (Q30 News) – Quinnipiac University Public Safety responded to two catalytic converter theft attempts on North Haven Campus on Monday and Tuesday.
According to Chief of Public Safety Tony Reyes, Public Safety received a report of suspicious activity in the student lot in front of the Center for Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences on the North Haven Campus at around 2:30 p.m. on Monday.
There, the officer found an unsuccessful catalytic converter theft attempt.
Similarly, on Tuesday Public Safety confronted a suspect in the same parking lot. The suspect then fled into the passenger side of a 2004 Honda Civic and drove away. The officer caught the driver’s license, CT BJ48574.
Although these attempts were separate incidents, Chief of Public Safety Tony Reyes says the “getaway” car was likely the same one both times.
“Through further investigation, we determined it was also a vehicle that is suspected of carrying out these thefts in other towns such as West Haven,” Chief Reyes said.
On North Haven Campus, many students are worried to park in the student lot.
“Yea I’m definitely worried, I feel like this has happened a couple times now and it’s a little worrisome I mean I know we all have cars that you can take the catalytic converter out, a lot of us do, and I wouldn’t want to get in my car and realize I can’t come home,” Julia Dietz, a second-year medical student said.
“Yeah, I mean this is like North Haven, it’s a pretty safe area,” Janelle Rigor, an accelerated nursing student said. “I kinda don’t want to bring my car here I just want to take an uber”.
Catalytic converter thefts have been on the rise in North Haven and Hamden since 2022. Chief Reyes says that stealing these can be done in only seconds, making them easy and valuable.
“I’ve seen it done in literally seconds,” Reyes said. “They’re valuable because of the metals that they have and they can be reused. It’s very expensive to replace them and to get new ones, so it just becomes a very easy thing”.
Chief Reyes says that thefts may also be happening here because of Quinnipiac’s attractive campus.
“That’s what makes us appealing, it’s a picturesque campus, it’s large, but that’s also what makes us vulnerable,” Reyes said.
For now, Public Safety has increased patrols in the North Haven lot. Chief Reyes also recommends students call Public Safety immediately if they see something suspicious.
