Residents of the Shakespeare (14th) Police District can get their catalytic converters spray-painted and marked at a police event 10 a.m. Sept. 11 at Moos Elementary School’s parking lot, 1711 N. California Ave.
The goal of the pilot program — inspired by a similar effort in Evanston — is to cut down on catalytic converter thefts by making the parts less attractive to thieves and scrap dealers, said District Sgt. Mike Edens, who helped organize the program.
“We’re trying to add a level of deterrence,” Edens said. “The idea of adding a marking is a way to make it more identifiable to catalytic converter thieves. If it’s being transported to a metal yard or they’re stopped by police, they’ll have a bright-colored catalytic converter in their possession.”
Catalytic converter theft is on the rise nationwide. State Farm paid out $21 million for stolen catalytic converters in the first six months of 2021, compared to $33 million in all of 2020, according to the Sun-Times.
Illinois ranked fifth for highest number of claims, the Sun-Times reported.
The thefts have increased because the car parts contain rhodium, a precious metal that has skyrocketed in value in recent years, Supt. David Brown said at a press conference this week when asked about a man who was shot during an attempted theft in Rogers Park Monday.
Catalytic converters are part of a car’s exhaust system and convert toxic gases into less dangerous gases. Cars with missing converters often pollute more and have excessively loud engine noise, which worsens when drivers speed up.
Police data shows nearly half of the “thefts from auto” crimes that occurred in the Shakespeare police district in recent months were people stealing catalytic converters, Edens said.