Catalytic converter thefts ‘increasing’ says Havant police sergeant warning drivers to protect their cars

Over the past 30 days, police have had three reports of catalytic converter theft in Havant.

It was reported that a catalytic converter had been stolen from a Honda Jazz on Rowan Road between 7pm on August 2 and midday August 3.

A catalytic converter was stolen from another Honda Jazz parked on a driveway on Nutwick Road some time between 1am on August 6 and 2pm on August 8.

On August 15, a similar theft occurred from a Honda CR-V on Denvilles Close between 11.30am and 3.45pm.

Darren Butterworth, Havant police sergeant, said: ‘Our teams continue to monitor reports of catalytic converter thefts and would urge anyone who has been a victim to report it to us on 101 or via our website so that we can continue to build an intelligence picture of what is happening in the area.

‘Theft of catalytic converters is closely linked to prices of Rhodium and Palladium which are contained within the converters, the prices of these metals increased last year and this is what we believe has contributed to the number of thefts increasing.

‘We’re seeing that cat converters on hybrid Hondas and Toyotas are particularly vulnerable because their converters are cleaner and therefore the valuable metals contained within them are less likely to corrode.

‘They’re also easier to access on hybrid vehicles and can be stolen within a few minutes by using just a few basic tools.’

There are a number of ways to protect vehicles if drivers don’t have access to a garage.

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.

You can also etch a serial number on the converter so that if it is stolen and then recovered, police can return it.

A ‘cage clamp’ which locks in around the converter can be purchased, and drivers can also speak to their dealership or garage 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.

Other catalytic converter thefts have occurred in Portsmouth over the last month.

A Honda Accord was targeted on Eastern Parade at around 3am on July 28, and on August 14, it was reported that sometime between 8pm the following day and 5am that morning the catalytic converter had been taken from a Honda CR-V on Greetham Street.

SEE ALSO: Audi convertible is stolen from Southsea street after key taken from inside home

A further incident, in which it was reported to police that the catalytic converter had been stolen from a vehicle on Clydebank Road between 9pm on August 2 and 10am on August 3, is currently under investigation.

Sergeant Butterworth added: ‘In the event that your cat converter is stolen, please report it and include any markings so that we can identify your converter if it’s recovered.

‘As always, if a crime is in progress please dial 999.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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