Neighborhood News
Catalytic Converter Thefts Inspire Deterrents From Police, 12th Ward Program
Thefts of catalytic converters rose sharply in Chicago last year: more than 3,900 stolen, triple the number through August of 2022 as compared to 2021.
Chicago Police Department 9th District officers and 12th Ward Alderwoman Anabel Abarca joined forces to try and reduce that number in 2023.
This winter, 9th District police and Abarca sponsored an event where car owners could get their converters spray-painted pink and tagged with a special tracking code.
A Growing Problem
A new CatGuard label guards a catalytic converter in the hopes of deterring theft. "The pink paint is meant as a deterrent to criminals," said 9th District Community Policing Sgt. Jose Bautista. "When they see the pink, they know the converter could be tracked."
Abarca said she was co-sponsoring the event to "take a more proactive approach and stay ahead of this growing problem."
29 Cars
McKinley Park resident Jose Terrazas took advantage of the tagging and painting. “My wife and I looked at this as a good opportunity to keep our car safe,” he said.
The tagging and converter painting event was the second held in February 2023. Over the course of about eight hours, the Brighton Park neighborhood's Parkview Auto Repair tagged and painted 29 cars.
The police also provided six steering wheel locks for Kia and Hyundai cars, some models of which are easier for thieves to steal, police said.
Kias and Hyundais
McKinley Park Kia owner Matt McWilliams participated and got a free "The Club" steering wheel lock, hoping to deter theft.
Pink paint marks a catalytic converter at the 12th Ward and 9th District police event."With the rash of catalytic theft and Kia/Hyundai thefts across the nation and in our community, I figure that any additional amount of discouragement I could give a would-be thief, the better, McWilliams said.
National Database
CatGuard is a partner in the program, providing the tag on the converter to deter theft. Workers attach the tag to the converter, and spray pink paint on parts of the exhaust system. The car owner then must register the tag in a national database.
Alderwoman Abarca said she will sponsor more tagging and painting events. Call the 12th Ward office at (773) 523-8250 for more information on dates.
Photography by Kevin O'Neil
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