San Jose police arrested 15 suspects for stealing and selling catalytic converters, but more interestingly, they say three auto shops were “knowingly purchasing stolen catalytic converters from street criminals.”

Kudos to the San Jose Police Department, not only for arresting 15 suspects in a catalytic converter theft ring, but also for having the cleverness to name this law enforcement sting “Operation Cat Scratch Thiever.” (Golf clap…)

2/ 15 suspects arrested for catalytic converter theft. 6 month operation. Great job by our detectives. pic.twitter.com/XNVeQw0UbJ

Catalytic converter thefts are indeed a problem, not only in the Bay Area, but nationwide. With few tools and little expertise, one can hit parked cars under the guise of darkness and pull in lucrative hardware that resells for a few hundred bucks. And as NBC Bay Area points out, San Jose police say they “shut down three San Jose businesses that were suspected of knowingly purchasing stolen catalytic converters from street criminals,” and that these businesses “appeared to cater to thieves, often purchasing cut catalytic converters with no questions asked.”

UPDATE: Campbell recycler Robert Frank charged w/having $3M worth of stolen catalytic converters in wake of Operation Cat Scratch Thiever, per @SantaClaraDA @SanJosePD, adding search of home & work led to seizure of 1,500 devices, $50K,1,200 armor-piercing bullets & assault rifle pic.twitter.com/fHjg2N18oZ

And there’s an even uglier underbelly to all this. According to NBC Bay Area, “Police also believe at least one San Jose homicide was the result of a catalytic converter theft, when a victim confronted the suspects.”

"This lengthy operation is just another example of a proactive and thorough investigation that defines SJPD," police Chief Anthony Mata said in a statement to NBC Bay Area. "Our community has been increasingly plagued by these types of crimes, and I'm thankful for the collaborative efforts our detectives have taken with local jurisdictions and the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office to arrest and prosecute these individuals, while deterring any other would-be copycat thieves in our city."

Credit to the police here, but they seem happy to splash the names and faces of the theft suspects, without also naming the stores that were allegedly on it. That would be helpful from a consumer standpoint! Because petty theft is a problem, but platforms where thieves can resell stolen goods may well be the primary enabler of this phenomenon.

Related: Another Smash-and-Grab Caught On Video, This Time in Golden Gate Park, and Victim Chased Down Thief [SFist]

California is reimposing a broad indoor mask mandate this week as the Omicron variant continues spreading, holiday gatherings proliferate, and as COVID cases and hospitalizations tick upward across the state.

A franchisee who operated multiple Burger King locations in San Francisco and has closed down or sold all of its locations in the last two years is on the hook for $1.9 million for a wage-theft citation involving over 200 employees.

Get the latest posts delivered right to your inbox

Joe Kukura is an SFist staff asst. editor / reporter who has been published in almost every San Francisco publication, including Hoodline, SF Weekly, Thrillist, and Broke Ass Stuart.

Stay up to date! Get all the latest & greatest posts delivered straight to your inbox