Carthage Police Department offered tips on its Facebook page to lower your chance of being a victim of a catalytic converter theft.
The police department said on Monday, Nov. 1 that these thefts are on the rise in Carthage and surrounding areas.
“Our officers continue to proactively patrol to help reduce thieves from victimizing our community,” said officials. “Catalytic converter theft is a frustrating crime for our citizens in terms of cost and inconvenience. It’s difficult to make arrests in these cases as most of the time the crime is not found until the next morning.”
The following tips were provided by officials:
• Always park in well-lit areas when possible.
• If you have a personal garage, keep your car in the garage with the door closed when the vehicle is not in use.
• Park close to a building entrance or to the nearest access road when parking in a public lot. This is due to the increased amount of pedestrian traffic in those areas.
• Security devices are available that attach to the converter, making it harder to steal. Having the converter welded in place also makes it more difficult to remove.
• If you have a security system on your car, calibrate it so vibration sets it off. This ensures the alarm activates if a thief tries to saw off the converter.
• Engrave your VIN number onto your catalytic converter to make it easier to identify in case it does get stolen.
• If a business, adding a camera system is a cost-effective way to protect your property and assets.
“If you see this crime in progress or a suspicious person and or vehicle call 911 immediately so that officers are dispatched when observed,” said the police department. “If you have any information on any past thefts, please contact the Carthage Police Department.”
