Crime & Safety
Catalytic Converter Etching Program Launched In SF
Catalytic converters are commonly stolen because of their feasibility to steal and high value.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA — In an effort to deter catalytic converter theft in San Francisco, a city supervisor launched a program with local auto shops to offer free catalytic converter etching services for residents.
Made in partnership with the San Francisco Police Department, Supervisor Joel Engardio started a program that will mark people's license plate number on the catalytic converter of their car, and spray paint the San Francisco Police Department logo on it.
"We have to do something while working to recruit and fund more police officers," Engardio said on Twitter.
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The hope is to make it easier to identify victims and prosecute suspects in a crime that is often difficult for detectives to trace, said Engardio.
Engardio partnered with Sunset Auto Care to host the etching event on Friday, though he expects more auto shops and dates to be added in the future due to the "overwhelming" response from the community. He said the pilot program has pivoted to a lottery system to select some of the 260 people who signed up for the event online.
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Catalytic converters are commonly stolen because of their feasibility to steal and high value. The device's valuable metals like platinum and palladium have a resell value in the hundreds of dollars.
But while thieves cash in at metal recyclers, victims are left paying upwards of thousands of dollars to replace their catalytic converter.
"Thieves take stolen catalytic converters to metal recyclers in exchange for cash," reads a press release from SFPD. "While any vehicle manufactured after 1974 can be considered a target for catalytic converter thieves, the most targeted vehicles are typically trucks, SUV's, and lighter vehicles."
Police encourage residents to prevent catalytic converter theft by parking their vehicle in a garage or secure side yard if possible, and reporting suspicious activity in their neighborhoods.
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