Police investigate catalytic converter theft reports
There was a report of gunfire during the crime, but police had found no evidence of a shooting as of publication time.
Berkeley police are investigating a report of a double catalytic converter theft in southwest Berkeley on Saturday morning.
One person told police the culprits fired a gun when they were interrupted, but officers had found no evidence of a shooting as of publication time.
Just before 6 a.m. Saturday, residents on Mathews Street near Ward Street called Berkeley police to report suspicious activity on the block.
Residents heard the sound of cutting tools and at least one person thought they heard a gunshot.
Read more about crime in Berkeley.
One witness told police the group had shone a light in his or her eyes to make it harder to see them as they fled, according to radio traffic reviewed by The Scanner.
The crew, which may have included four people, reportedly left westbound on Ward Street.
Berkeley police responded to the block to canvas for witnesses.
The Oakland Police Department's ShotSpotter system did not detect gunfire in the area, police said over the radio.
Left: a map of catalytic converter thefts in Berkeley in 2024. Right: Catalytic converter thefts in Berkeley since 2017. BPD
There have been about a dozen confirmed shooting calls in Berkeley this year with six people wounded.
Catalytic converter thefts saw a major reduction last year, dropping from a high of 847 in 2022 to 457 last year, the lowest number since these thefts jumped from fewer than 200 in 2019 to nearly 600 in 2020.
There have been about 70 catalytic converter thefts in Berkeley this year, according to department data.
Emilie Raguso
