The Automotive Blog

Van drivers in the West Midlands have been warned to be on guard for metal thieves, who are targeting catalytic converters.

PC Sean Lowe of the Dudley Police Local Priority Team says: “A number of vehicles are being targeted – particularly vans. So, to address this issue, we have launched Operation Boss Cat, to specifically tackle the persistent issue of catalytic converter thefts.

“In the current climate, and with precious metal prices still rising, the demand for parts that contain them is growing and the risk of theft of catalytic converters is on the increase again.”

Police patrols will step up their visits to theft hotspots and to scrap dealers in the region, and will also be offering free property marking of catalytic converters at several MOT garages across the borough, allowing officers to easily identify stolen car parts via ultra-violet light.

CatGuard is a Catalytic Converter Theft alarm.

CatGuard is fitted to a vehicle in less than an hour and if thieves attempt to remove the Catalytic Converter theft alarm will be activated. This will result in a 114 decibel siren or voice alarm giving a deafening warning along with a high intensity flashing strobe to drive the thieves away.

Contact aide automotive for more information – 01158456471

Stop Catalytic Converter Theft

Metal thieves hit the road in crime spike

Updated on 25th May 2012

They convert harmful emissions from your car to less toxic substances, but more and more thieves are seeking to convert catalytic converters to cash.

Despite Force-wide decreases in metal theft in the year-to-date, including a 33% reduction in the County Division, police are warning motorists about a spate of catalytic converter thefts in some areas of the county.

Since the beginning of April 2012, there have been 112 catalytic converters stolen in the County Division – 94 more than the same period last year. And the thefts are increasing by the week.

Sherwood has been the worst affected, with 38 thefts (37 more than the same period last year). Bassetlaw East and Rushcliffe South follow with 21 (compared to 20) and 16 (compared to 0) respectively.

Three arrests have been made in connection with the recent thefts. Two Doncaster men, aged 24 and 28, and a Leeds man, aged 19, have been bailed pending further enquiries.

Chief Inspector Sean Anderson, Force and region lead for metal theft reduction, said: “We have recently experienced an unprecedented rise in the number catalytic converters stolen in Nottinghamshire, and specifically in the Bassetlaw, Newark and Sherwood, and Rushcliffe areas of the county.

“There were 16 recorded in January in total in the county. So far this month, 80 catalytic converters have been stolen.

“But we are not the only area experiencing such an issue. This is a regional and national problem.

“As with other crimes of this nature, we are looking at offenders from across the region, and have a number of suspects, including organised groups, on our radar. We are now seeking to gather the evidence to bring them to justice.

“We have a number of tactics in place, including extra patrols in hotspot areas and on main arterial routes into and out of the county, but we are also appealing to the community to help us in our quest to reverse this increase by reporting suspicious activity, such as people working under vehicles in an ad-hoc manner, and doing what they can to secure their property.”

The cost to the victim for replacement of a stolen catalytic converter can cost £1,000s, not to mention the increases in their insurance premium. The thief would be lucky to get £200, depending upon metal content.

According to statistics, peak days for catalytic converter thefts have been Sundays and Tuesday, with thieves tending to strike overnight.

All types of vehicles are targeted, with vans topping the table at 35 incidents, but followed closely by pick-up trucks at 33 incidents and cars at 32 incidents. Businesses are being urged to tighten-up their security after occasions when a number of work vehicles have been targeted on the same night.

aide automotive offer a Catalytic Converter Alam called CatGuard.

The CatGuard Alarm Now Has The Extra Benefit Of An Serial Number Identification Kit to Protect Against This Costly Theft

With the massive increase in Catalytic Converter theft, aide automotive has made an addition to the CatGuard Alarm kit. As well as the CatGuard Alarm we can add a unique serial number to the Catalytic Converter by virtually indestructible sticker and metal marking fluid. A belt and braces approach to protect against theft. You can register this serial number with local police and offer insurance companies a proactive solution to this automotive problem.

aide automotive offer an on-site fitting service of the CatGuard and Catalytic Serial Number Kit. Installation can be undertaken out of hours to suit a working fleet. CatGuard can also be installed by competent internal staff.

Taller vehicles such as Cars, Trucks, Vans, 4x4s & Motorhomes are particularly vulnerable as the Catalytic converters are more accessible and, because they tend to have larger engines, they contain more of the precious metals.

It’s not unusual for a new catalytic converter to cost in the region of £1,000 and repair bills of Catalytic Converter Theft to total £3,000.

With thieves just simply cutting each end of the catalytic converter and removing it completely, CAT Converters need to be protected. CatGuard has a sophisticated sensor fitted near to the catalytic converter, and if thieves attempt to remove the catalytic converter in any way then the CatGuard alarm will be activated. CatGuard is fitted to a vehicle in less than an hour.

Catalytic Converter Theft could seriously affect a business by downtime or the cost!

Read more and contact us at www.catalytic-converter-theft.co

Stop Catalytic Converter Theft