It what seems to be part of a crime trend across the county, catalytic converters were reported stolen to the University of Michigan Public Safety Department Monday.

U-M police received two reports this weekend from residents at Northwood Community Apartments that the catalytic converters on their cars had been stolen.

Police believe the thefts occurred during the week of Sept. 17 while the vehicles were parked in Northwood parking lots.

In similar incidents across the county, the thieves reportedly crawled under the vehicles and used battery-operated saws to remove the converters in a matter of minutes, according to a release from U-M police.

Police are urging residents of the Northwood Community Apartments to check vehicles for a loud noise and take any suspicious vehicle to a mechanic who can verify whether the converter has been removed. To file a report with U-M police or to report any suspicious behavior or noise that might be connected with these incidents, call (734) 763-1131.

Catalytic converters have also been reported stolen in Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor townships recently.

Catalytic converters are valuable because of what's inside the emissions control devices: precious metals including platinum and palladium. Replacing a stolen catalytic converter can cost anywhere from several hundred to more than a thousand dollars, Ann Arbor area repair shops said in a previous report.

See these related stories:

• 2 more catalytic converter thefts reported in Ypsilanti Township
• Police investigate 4 thefts of catalytic converters

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John Counts covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at johncounts@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.