Oak Park police are urging residents to protect their vehicles after a string of catalytic converter thefts this summer, warning that thieves armed with a battery-powered saw can remove the part in less than a minute.

Sgt. Samantha Deuchler delivered the warning in a video advisory the department posted Wednesday, Aug. 12, outlining steps vehicle owners can take to reduce their risk. The precious metals inside catalytic converters, including platinum, palladium and rhodium, make the exhaust-system components a lucrative target.

Priuses are a common target.

The department said in its post that owners can take steps to protect their vehicles, and directed residents to a dedicated village resource page for specific prevention guidance.

The advisory comes after at least two documented thefts from Toyota Priuses in Oak Park this summer. OPD records show a converter was cut from a 2006 silver Prius parked at 1026 Randolph St. sometime between Sunday, June 14, and Wednesday, June 17. A separate theft from another Prius appeared in the July 27–30 police log.

The department's video shows how thieves use a reciprocating saw, commonly called a sawzall, to slice through the exhaust pipe and free the converter. Among the protective measures Deuchler referenced: installing a catalytic converter cap shield, a metal plate that covers the device and makes removal more difficult.

OPD has issued similar warnings multiple times in 2026. The department's February newsletter and a May 7 social media post both directed residents to the same village prevention page. The village describes the crime as "increasingly common throughout the region," framing it as a broader suburban Chicago problem that has hit Oak Park repeatedly this year.

No aggregate theft count for Oak Park in 2026 is publicly available, and the department has not announced a community meeting or policy review tied to the advisory.

Residents can find the full list of prevention tips at oak-park.us/catalyticconverter.