Wichita mechanics busy with thieves sliding under cars, causing extensive damage
WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - A new warning from police departments in the Kansas City area is linked to high gas prices. Police in Overland Park, Kan. and Independence, Mo. said they’ve recently taken reports of thieves drilling into vehicles’ gas tanks to steal fuel.
It’s a crime that is not a trend in the Wichita area but adds to warnings for car owners. Prior to the most recent surge in gas prices, a similar crime did happen in Derby. A local automotive shop said thieves caused about $1,800 in damage to a car’s gas tank. In the area, the top item thieves continue to steal is catalytic converters.
With the prices of cars rising, it’s been busier at businesses like Myers Automotive in Wichita as more people are concentrating on repairing their vehicles instead of replacing them.
“Car market is fickle right now,” said Myers Automotive General Manager Stanley Konz. “They’re costing more and more and used cars are unavailable. More people are putting more effort into maintaining what they currently have and we’ve shifted from this replace mindset to repair mindset.”
Konz sees cars needing regular maintenance and others that need repairs from what thieves have taken.
“With the advent of the battery-powered saw, you no longer need access to electricity, and they just slide under there, cut out what they want and they’re gone,” he said. “Takes less than 15 minutes.”
Unlike older vehicles where thieves can open the fuel door to syphon gas, newer vehicles have backflow preventers instead. This is why the issues in the Kansas City area involved thieves sliding under trucks and SUVs to drill holes in the tanks.
“They’re all this plastic material anymore, and then catalytic converters tend to be closer to the engine. But this is what they’re after,” Konz said.
With catalytic converter thefts, Wichita police have seen a drastic increase over the last few years from 28 reported in 2017 to 1,350 last year. There have been 207 reported catalytic converter thefts so far in 2022.
“It’s really about trying to prevent it because the truth is, they’re going to get, no matter what you do,” Konz said.
He advises drivers to park inside whenever it’s possible.
“If your car sits low to the ground, you’re less likely to have these issues,” Konz said. “If I had to choose between a car and a truck, I would probably park the truck inside.”
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