14 catalytic converters stolen from buses in Garden City Park depot, Nassau police say

Nassau County police said Tuesday they were investigating the theft of more than a dozen catalytic converters from a Garden City Park bus depot.

The devices, which control exhaust emissions from internal combustion engines, were stolen over the weekend from a depot owned by WE Transport, a Plainview-based school bus company that serves school districts in Nassau, Suffolk and New York City.

An employee discovered 14 catalytic converters, with an estimated value of more than $14,000, were missing when he opened the depot at 5 a.m. Monday, police said. Thieves entered the locked yard and stole the equipment between Friday and Monday morning, police said.

WE Transport also serves school districts in Westchester County and Connecticut, according to the firm's website.

In a statement, WE Transport said the thefts "caused service disruptions for several children trying to get to school. WE Transport increased the security presence at our yards, promptly notified law enforcement, and will support the authorities to investigate and apprehend those responsible."

A Nassau police spokesman said he did not know if bus service was disrupted because of the thefts.

He said the devices may have been stolen because they contain metals such as platinum, rhodium and palladium, which are valuable on the black market. Nassau police also have responded to recent reports of other thefts involving catalytic converters, the spokesman said.

By Carl MacGowan

carl.macgowan@newsday.comCarlMacGowan

Carl MacGowan is a Long Island native who covers Brookhaven Town after having previously covered Smithtown, Suffolk County courts and numerous spot news and feature stories over his 20-plus year career at Newsday.