Motorists urged to be vigilant when parking cars due to theft of catalytic converters

There number of incidents in which catalytic converters have been stolen from cars has more than doubled in recent months compared to 2019 prompting gardaí to promote a public awareness campaign.

According to figures released at the recent Kildare Joint Policing Committee meeting, crimes of interfering with the mechanism of a vehicle jumped by 140% from 5 between September and December 2019 to 12 for the same period in 2020.

Gardaí say the increase in thefts of the car parts is a reflection of the rise in price of palladium and rhodium metals.

Crime Prevention Officer for the Kildare Division, Sergeant Graham Kavanagh said an ongoing Garda operation is targeting these crimes which has had recent successes.

He also gave advice to motorists on how wo avoid becoming a victim of this crime.

According to garda figures, a total of €1.8m worth of catalytic converters have been stolen in almost 3,000 thefts.
Some 40% of the thefts have taken place in car parks with 20% on roadsides and 15% on driveways.

Last month, gardaí seized 110 catalytic converters together with €27,500 euro and £55,000 in sterling during a search operation at a premises in Co. Meath. Investigations are ongoing.

Sgt Kavanagh said that motorists should ensure they park near a wall to make jacking up a vehicle difficult.
Vehicle owners are also encouraged to garage their vehicle whenever possible.

Cars should also be parked in well-lit, busy areas.

Sgt Kavanagh also said sensor lights that come on automatically when someone approaches a car parked in a drive may be a good idea.

Everybody was urged to look out for people working under cars and report suspicious activity to Gardaí.