BELLEVUE, Wash. — It's an issue impacting people across Washington and doesn't discriminate when it comes to where you live or what kind of car you drive.
Catalytic converter thefts can be completed in less than two minutes and prove incredibly costly.
"It is clear this problem is not going away and is not slowing down," said Bellevue Police Chief Wendell Shirley.
In Bellevue alone, the city has seen a nearly 600% increase in catalytic converter thefts in one year. In Kirkland, that number is nearly 300%.
King County has seen the number of cases jump from fewer than 20 a year to four every single day. Shirley said the situation is growing much more serious.
"Catalytic converter thefts are not only an expensive crime for victims, but it's dangerous as we're finding thieves now arming themselves with weapons," she said.
In February, a man was standing near his car near T-Mobile Park when he saw a black van pull up, according to the Seattle Police Department.
The victim reportedly saw a woman carrying a cutting tool get out of the van and kneel under his car. When the man confronted the woman and the person with her, they shot at him, but he was uninjured.
Now, nine law enforcement agencies are forming a task force to share leads, pool resources, and crackdown on those stealing the units and the recyclers buying them. The task force includes eight eastside police departments and the King County Sheriff’s Office.
Someone stealing a catalytic converter can earn a few hundred dollars for its precious metals, but the cost for the victim is five times that or more.
"Catalytic converter thieves directly impact an individual or family's ability to move around the community for work, school or basic needs," said King County Sheriff Patti Cole-Tindall. "For lower-income households this can be particularly devastating, cutting off income due to lack of transportation."
Two bills are currently working their way through Olympia that would require recyclers to keep strict records showing proof the device isn't stolen, impose heavier fines and create a statewide task force.
All proposals Bothell Police Chief Ken Seuberlich said would be very welcome.
"Whether it's increasing funding for specialty units, assisting with prosecution, any of those things that bring community, law enforcement, the prosecutors office together. That's the team effort we need,” said Seuberlich.