Thefts of catalytic converters — the devices that cut emissions on gas-powered automobiles — are up in Issaquah.

The city has seen eight recent cases of converters being stolen from underneath cars, Issaquah Police Det. Sgt. Chris Wilson said. The thefts have been reported as occurring in large parking lots where criminal activity may be masked, including the Highlands Park and Ride and area Big Box shopping centers.

Targeted cars seem to be those with high suspensions, such as sport utility vehicles and trucks, possibly due to easier access to the undercarriage of the car, Wilson said. Removal can be as simple as using a basic ratchet set or metal-cutting saw, he said.

“We went quite a while without having any [thefts],” Wilson said. “From the research I’ve done, this type of theft typically depends on the prices of the metals — catalytic converters have precious metals in their construction. So a lot of the drive is based on the price of the metals: When prices for metals are down, we don’t seem to have as many of these cases.”

The catalyst core of the auto parts typically contain platinum, palladium or rhodium.

Drivers can take a number of measures to protect themselves against theft, Wilson said. He suggested parking in well-lit areas, close to the higher-traffic entrances and exits of parking lots; a vehicle alarm set to go off from jostling of a car also may alert nearby people during a theft in progress.

Wilson added that he had found theft prevention locks for catalytic converters on the market, but said he could not personally confirm the effectiveness of such products.