I attended the POR Police Ward Panel last week at which the continued incidence of Catalytic Converter theft was discussed.
PCSO Eaton reported that Operation Basswood had made 10 arrests, including an individual who had 8 catalytic converters in his possession.
Scrap dealers are supposed to record who they buy scrap from and Council officers are working with the scrap dealers to ensure this happens - obviously there are some who are not following the rules.
Vehicles are being selected to be stopped and searched and, for example, the Police had recently stopped a tow truck recently that had 3 catalytic converters in the back.
The crime is not specific to our area but it is difficult to catch criminal in the act because it is over so quickly.
The criminals now carry iron bars with them and have threatened those who have tried to stop them so the best course of action is to contact the police and not risk your own safety should you see the offence being committed.
The Police advice the following in terms of us trying to lessen the chance of this crime being comitted against our vehicle:
- Park your car in a garage overnight if available
- Ensure your car is parked to make accessing the catalytic converter harder e.g. against a wall
- Try to park in a location that is well-lit and overlooked
- Install CCTV to cover where your car is parked
- Mark your catalytic converter with a forensic marker, which can make it harder to sell on by thieves.
