Police in Mass. town help residents protect catalytic converters
The Middleton Police Department is teaming up with the Essex County Sheriff’s Department to help residents of the Massachusetts town protect a very valuable car part.Catalytic converter thefts have been on the rise since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The devices are made of precious metals such as platinum, palladium and rhodium, and it only takes minutes to cut them out from a car — which makes them a prime target for thieves.Replacing a catalytic converter could cost thousands of dollars, so local law enforcement offered a free service to Middleton residents to help prevent those thefts.On Saturday, Middleton police and Sheriff’s Department members etched unique identifiers on catalytic converters for six hours in an effort to deter criminals and prosecute those who do go through with the theft.”I have a friend who had one stolen, so I thought it would be a great idea because (my car is) an older car and they’re really hard to replace,” said Middleton resident Betsy McGinnity.Each resident who took part in the free program on Saturday also received a window sticker that alerts thieves to the fact that the vehicle received an etching on its catalytic converter.”So what we can do now is if we stop a car at 3 o’clock in the morning and it has a catalytic converter that’s etched, we can actually find who that belongs to and if it was stolen,” said Middleton police Chief William Sampson.For those who do not have an etching on their catalytic converter, Sampson recommends that they keep their vehicle in a locked area, such as a garage, or installing security cameras near the vehicle.Related stories:
The Middleton Police Department is teaming up with the Essex County Sheriff’s Department to help residents of the Massachusetts town protect a very valuable car part.
Catalytic converter thefts have been on the rise since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The devices are made of precious metals such as platinum, palladium and rhodium, and it only takes minutes to cut them out from a car — which makes them a prime target for thieves.
Replacing a catalytic converter could cost thousands of dollars, so local law enforcement offered a free service to Middleton residents to help prevent those thefts.
On Saturday, Middleton police and Sheriff’s Department members etched unique identifiers on catalytic converters for six hours in an effort to deter criminals and prosecute those who do go through with the theft.
“I have a friend who had one stolen, so I thought it would be a great idea because (my car is) an older car and they’re really hard to replace,” said Middleton resident Betsy McGinnity.
Each resident who took part in the free program on Saturday also received a window sticker that alerts thieves to the fact that the vehicle received an etching on its catalytic converter.
“So what we can do now is if we stop a car at 3 o’clock in the morning and it has a catalytic converter that’s etched, we can actually find who that belongs to and if it was stolen,” said Middleton police Chief William Sampson.
For those who do not have an etching on their catalytic converter, Sampson recommends that they keep their vehicle in a locked area, such as a garage, or installing security cameras near the vehicle.
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