The Orange Park Police department, in partnership with Jiffy Lube and Hagan Ace Hardware, is hosting two catalytic converter theft prevention events open to motorists who are interested in having their converters etched and painted, the Orange Park Police Department said.
Catalytic converters are part of the car’s exhaust system that converts harmful engine-exhaust pollutants into something less harmful to the environment through chemical reactions. They are often stolen and sold to pawn shops due to containing precious metals.
Catalytic converter thefts are seen frequently because they are easy to remove with power tools and, unless marked by the owner of the vehicle, they are impossible to track, the Orange Park Police Department said.
The catalytic converter theft prevention events are scheduled for April 11 and April 25 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Jiffy Lube (1548 Park Avenue) in Orange Park. The police department is making the event free and those who attend can have orange paint and the last eight digits of their VIN etched on their catalytic converters.
“When a thief sees a converter painted and etched with an ID number, they know it will require much more work to clean all the paint and grind off the etching,” a spokesperson from the Orange Park Police Department said. “They know it may be harder to sell to a recycling business painted orange with a number etched on it.”
The agency is also educating local recycling businesses and asking them to call their jurisdictional law enforcement agency if someone attempts to sell a converter with orange paint and/or a VIN number etched on it.
The top 10 vehicles for catalytic converter thefts in 2022 according to a private data collection company who spoke with the Orange Park Police Department are below:
- Ford F series trucks
- Honda Accord
- Toyota Prius
- Honda CR-V
- Ford Explorer
- Ford Econoline
- Chevrolet Equinox
- Chevrolet Silverado
- Toyota Tacoma
- Chevrolet Cruze
For anyone who has had their catalytic converter stolen from their vehicle, they are told to contact local law enforcement and report the converter stolen. If there were any etchings or paint on the converter, it can be more easily tracked.
Some auto insurance companies will replace the converter if the driver has comprehensive insurance coverage in place, the agency spokesperson said.
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