| Unfortunately there have been a number of theft from motor vehicle offences in the local area where Catalytic Converters have been removed from vehicles. Catalytic converters are designed to remove toxins from vehicle emissions. The devices contain small amounts of three precious metals: platinum, palladium and rhodium. In recent years, the price of these metals has soared to record levels, which means that catalytic converters can provide a substantial return to a thief for just a few minutes work. Over the past week there have been the following offences reported:- Hazelwood Road, Acocks Green – from 11.20 P.M. on 12th May 2021 and from 12.32 A.M. on the 13th May 2021 Summer Road, Acocks Green – from 12.00 A.M. on 13th May 2021 to 04.00 A.M. on the 14th May 2021 Shirley Road, Acocks Green – from 10.40 P.M. on the 14th May 2021 and 12.07 A.M. on the 15th May 2021 If you were in the area at the time and saw anything suspicious or indeed have footage or photos of the offences please reply to this message in kind. To reduce the risk of having your catalytic converter stolen, you should: • Park your car in a locked garage where possible, but if this isn’t an option, then park it in a well-lit and well-populated area • Park close to fences, walls or a kerb with the exhaust being closest to the fence, wall or kerb to make the theft more difficult • Avoid parking your vehicle half on the pavement and half on the road, as this may make it easier for thieves to access the catalytic converter • If parking in a public car park, consider parking alongside other. • If there is a fleet of vehicles, park the low clearance vehicles to block the high clearance vehicles. This will obstruct access underneath • If your catalytic converter is bolted on, you can ask for your local garage to weld the bolts to make it more difficult to remove. • Alternatively, you can also etch a serial number on the converter • You can even purchase a ‘cage clamp’ which is a cage device that locks in around the converter to make it more difficult to remove • Speak to your dealership about the possibility of adding a tilt sensor that will activate the alarm should any thief try to jack the vehicle up to steal the converter • If you see someone acting suspiciously under a vehicle, report it to the Police. Obtain as much information as possible, including any vehicle registrations Regards PCSO John Ludford. |
| Message Sent By John Ludford (Police, PCSO, Yardley) |
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