Nassau County officials held an emergency meeting Tuesday in New Hyde Park to address the rise in catalytic converter thefts.

Residents say they have had their catalytic converters stolen from their driveways right outside their homes. They hope police can find a solution to the problem.

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"I hope they can devise some sort of a plan. I don't know how it could be done, but perhaps some sort of neighborhood patrols or something," says Pete, of New Hyde Park. "These guys come in the middle of the night. Three, four in the morning. It's kind of tough to catch them."

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Police say there have been 1,290 reported catalytic converter thefts this year. Last year, there were only 131 thefts.

Police identified the top cars targeted for catalytic converter thefts, putting Honda at the top of the list. The next big target is the Toyota Prius because the vehicle has more of the precious metals thieves are looking for.

As News 12 has reported, this is a crime that can be committed in a matter of minutes.