Oshkosh school bus service hit again, and harder, by catalytic convert thefts

OSHKOSH, Wis. (WBAY) - For the second day in a row, busing was disrupted for students in the Oshkosh Area School District.

Overnight, more buses were targeted by a catalytic converter thief, or thieves, forcing the district to announce it wouldn’t be bussing students to and from school at all on Thursday. Parents had to find another way to get their kids to school and home again.

“While Kobussen had made every effort to resume regular busing for the OASD today, they have no option due to additional overnight thefts,” reads a letter sent to parents. “We understand this is a significant inconvenience and apologize for the disruption it causes you.”

We first reported Wednesday on the thefts of 11 catalytic converters from school buses at the Kobussen depot on Omro Rd. in the town of Algoma.

This time, 27 buses at the Omro Rd. depot had their catalytic converters removed, and another four catalytic converters were stolen from buses at Kobussen’s depot on Dixie Rd. in the town of Vinland at the north end of Winnebago County, according to the sheriff’s office.

“I would say it is unusual to be hit two days in a row. We have had some businesses hit in the county that have been hit multiple times. We do attempt to provide extra patrols in those areas of those businesses when we can, but certainly, these types of thefts have been taking place across the entire county, and based on manpower it is difficult to be everywhere at the same time,” Sheriff’s Capt. Greg Cianciolo said.

Catalytic converters are part of the vehicle’s exhaust system and are valuable for the precious metals found inside them. Brand new, they cost around $1,200 apiece to replace.

Authorities say these thefts are part of a growing trend they’ve been dealing with for the past couple of years.

“We have multiple businesses, private residences and even public parking lots where converters have been stolen over the last couple of years,” Cianciolo said.

Authorities say these thefts could be part of an organized operation.

“I believe, when some of the businesses get hit, and large numbers of catalytic converters are taken at the same time, it’s more than likely mulitple people that are engaging in the crime,” said Capt. Cianciolo.

The sheriff’s office has a team of detectives working on this case. We’re told they conducted a neighborhood canvass and collected evidence, including videos, that they’re analyzing in their search for suspects.

“We will continue to patrol some of the areas that are most likely to be hit, and we’ve been working in conjunction with a lot of businesses to encourage them to increase their security and harden their target to make it a little more difficult for the people to steal the catalytic converters at those locations,” Cianciolo said.

Article continues with Oshkosh Area School District planning below the video

Kobussen was able to provide a small number of buses to the Oshkosh school district Thursday for co-curricular and field trip busing.

The school district says busing for all students will resume Friday.

“Kobussen is able to shift its buses that serve other school districts that are not in session tomorrow. Busing is expected to continue as normal next week. Kobussen is working to repair its buses,” reads a statement from the district.

1 p.m. - Oshkosh Area School District Busing Status Update

Busing to and from school will resume as normal tomorrow, Friday, September 30, in the Oshkosh Area School District. Kobussen is able to shift its buses that serve other school districts that are not in session tomorrow. Busing is expected to continue as normal next week. Kobussen is working to repair its buses.

Kobussen’s catalytic converter thefts first caused a delay for OASD busing on Wednesday, September 28. While Kobussen had made every effort to resume regular busing for the OASD today, additional catalytic converter thefts occurred overnight. This is an unfortunate situation and the OASD appreciates all that Kobussen is doing to manage and problem solve. The OASD also understands this is a significant inconvenience for families that receive and rely on district transportation for their children. Continued understanding and patience are appreciated.

About the OASD: Building community through education. The Oshkosh Area School District is located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, serving over 9,000 students and operating 13 elementary schools, five middle schools, two high schools, two charter schools, and an eAcademy. For more information, visit www.oshkosh.k12.wi.us.

9:15 a.m. - Oshkosh Area School District Busing Status Update

Oshkosh, WI - Due to catalytic converter thefts impacting Kobussen’s entire Oshkosh terminal, there will be no busing to or from school today, Thursday, September 29, for any Oshkosh Area School District students. Families that receive busing were informed of this situation earlier this morning and are asked to make other plans to get their children to and from school today.

The status of busing for Friday, September 30 will be announced later today, by 1 p.m.

Only co-curricular and field trip busing will occur today in the OASD. This is possible only because Kobussen will be able to bring the small number of buses needed for a short time from other terminals to temporarily meet these needs.

Kobussen’s catalytic converter thefts first caused a delay for OASD busing on Wednesday, September 28. While Kobussen had made every effort to resume regular busing for the OASD today, additional catalytic converter thefts occurred overnight. This is an unfortunate situation and the OASD appreciates all that Kobussen is doing to manage and problem solve. The OASD also understands this is a significant inconvenience for families that receive and rely on district transportation for their children. Continued understanding and patience are appreciated.

Catalytic converters have also been stolen from cars and pickup trucks.

Area police agencies suggest if you can’t park in a garage, park near another vehicle that’s closer to the ground, limiting a thief’s space to crawl underneath your car.

Mark your catalytic converter with brightly-colored spray paint.

You can also pay a repair shop to etch your vehicle’s identification number (VIN) into the catalytic converter or purchase a security device like a Cat-Rap.

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