FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 14, 2021
Tips to Prevent Catalytic Converter Thefts
The theft of catalytic converters in Springfield and surrounding municipalities continue to plague communities. This is due, in part, by the ease of removing the converter and the value of the various metals found within. The Springfield Police Department’s Property Crimes Unit is working hard to mitigate this criminal act by closely examining each reported incident, sharing information with other law enforcement agencies, identifying suspects, and presenting various cases to the prosecuting attorney’s office for review. In order to assist police investigators with combating this problem, we ask that the public take the following considerations in order to better protect their vehicles:
- Defensive Parking – Always park your vehicle in an area that allows the most visibility to a passerby. Take note of any security cameras that are in the area and park in a location where your vehicle can be monitored.
- Effective Security Lighting – Good security lighting will make your vehicle visible to the public and can reduce the likelihood of your vehicle being targeted.
- Spread Awareness - Talk to your neighbors and work together to monitor each other’s property and report suspicious behavior.
- Identifying Etching – Marking your converter with your vehicle’s VIN, license plate number, or some other identifying feature will help the police to track your converter back to you should it be stolen and recovered.
- Report to Police – In the event your vehicle is targeted, report the incident to the police even if you feel prosecution is unlikely due to very limited available information. Based on past investigations, it has been determined that suspects tend to strike numerous locations over the course of an evening. The information provided by a victim could potentially link a suspect to multiple locations merely by utilizing a clothing and/or vehicle description. Please note that making a report does not mean an officer will respond to the location. Necessary information can be reported over the phone, by calling the Springfield Police Department directly at 417-864-1810
The make, model, and year of your vehicle has some impact on determining the likelihood of your vehicle being targeted. Based on theft reports reviewed by detectives, it would appear the more commonly targeted vehicles in our area would include various models of the Ford pick-up along with smaller vehicles such as the Chevrolet Cavalier, Honda Element, and the Toyota Prius.
By working together, we hope to greatly reduce the number of occurrences both in Springfield and outlying communities. See Something / Say Something
# # #
Media Contact: PAO Jasmine Bailey
417-864-1786
[email protected]
Release authorized by Chief Paul Williams