84 catalytic converters marked as part of crackdown

Police have provided free catalytic converter marking kits to 84 vehicles in Cambridgeshire as part of a crackdown against thieves.

Staff at Kwik Fit in Huntingdon gave up their time to carry out the security marking on Sunday (17 July) in a bid to help drivers protect their vehicle against thieves.

Drivers of varying makes and models of vehicles descended in Redwongs Way, where they were greeted by officers and police volunteer cadets before mechanics got to work on the quick and simple procedure using Selectamark kits purchased by the force.

Sergeant Jess Clarke said: “This is the first event of this kind we’ve held in the county, and it was a great success with officers, cadets and the staff at Kwik Fit all working together as a team, in hot conditions, to mark these catalytic converters.

“One of the catalytic converters we marked had visible signs of an attempted theft emphasising the need for action to be taken, as well as our regular, dedicated patrols, to crackdown on these thieves.

“It takes just minutes for thieves to remove a catalytic converter and on many occasions victims are unaware their vehicle has been targeted even though it was sat on their driveway.”

Manager of Kwik Fit’s Redwongs Way centre, Will Sykes, said: “We were delighted to support Cambridgeshire Police in this activity as catalytic converter theft is a growing issue for drivers. The response from car owners to the even shows that many are aware of the problem and are looking for ways to deter thieves. Marking these components helps make them less attractive to criminals and reduces the need for costly replacements.”

Thieves are targeting catalytic converters at an average of almost two a day (between June 2021 and June 2022) and the force has seen a 54 per cent increase in reported incidents year on year (314 in 2019, 470 in 2020, 727 in 2021).

Catalytic converters are found in the exhaust system of every car and reduce the output of toxic gases and pollutants. Stealing them has become popular because they are not easily identifiable and can be sold on for the precious metals found inside them.

Marking the catalytic converters allows officer to identify stolen property and provide evidence for prosecutions. It also ensures that scrap metal merchants have a way of detecting stolen items and can refuse to purchase them.

Catalytic converter theft crime prevention information.