Kent Police out to stop cat-con thefts
Police in Kent have been out in force to help tackle the rising tide of thefts of catalytic converters.
Two events were held in Maidstone so owners of commercial and fleet vehicles could have their catalytic converters, which are targeted by thieves for their scrap value, marked with SmartWater. Any marked item can be linked back to its owner, prividing the police with valuable evidence should it be stolen. The events were held at Maidstone borough depot in Bircholt Road, Maidstone.
Crime prevention manager John Grant said: “By marking these catalytic converters this should be a highly effective step in crime prevention. The operation is also targeting scrap metal dealers in the area to identify whether stolen catalytic converters are being passed on to them."
Funding for the days was provided by Haynes Ford, Maidstone, which has also pledged to mark all the catalytic converters in new cars and vans sold there from now on.