Vacaville PD Holding 'Etch-N-Catch' Event To Prevent Catalytic-Converter Thefts

Vacaville police are holding an “Etch N Catch” event next month to help prevent the theft of catalytic converters from trucks and SUVs in the city.

Vehicle owners can have the California license plate number of their vehicle etched onto the heat shield of the catalytic converter on March 14 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. at the city’s maintenance facility at 1001 Allison Drive.

The program is open to those who live or work in Vacaville.

The license plate number will help police identify the theft victims and return their property, according to Gretchen Ash, crime prevention and community outreach officer. The converters themselves do not have serial numbers of identifiable markings.

The vehicles eligible for the program include Dodge Ram trucks in addition to Toyota pickups, Sequoias, Tacomas and 4Runners.

Thieves target those vehicles because their high ground clearance allows them to steal the converters beneath the vehicles in as little as 90 seconds, Ash said.

The converters, which reduce the toxicity of emissions from a vehicle’s engine, contain small amounts of precious metals, including platinum, palladium and rhodium, Ash said.

Owners often don’t realize the catalytic converter has been stolen until they hear loud exhaust noise when they start their vehicle. It can cost between $300 and $3,500 to replace the converter, Ash said.

For more information about the program call (707) 449-5432.

--Bay City News

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