Kettering Police Department hosts ‘Catalytic Convertor Marking Event’ in hopes of deterring thefts

KETTERING — As catalytic converter thefts continue to rise, a local police department is working to put a stop to criminals stealing them.

By etching on a few numbers and spraying the converter orange, police say the odds of becoming a target diminish greatly.

>> PHOTOS: Kettering Police Department hosts ‘Catalytic Convertor Marking Event’ in hopes of deterring thefts

“If somebody were to slide into your vehicle, say ‘Hey, well, maybe I won’t be able to sell this one.’ So they move on to the next guy. So it is a deterrent,” said Officer Tyler Johnson with the Kettering Police Department.

A free deterrent that the Kettering Police Department offered to everyone.

“They’re doing it for free. And I said sign me up,” said Judith Oldhan. “I try my best to keep my car in the garage, you read about doing them right in the parking lots.”

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The National Insurance Crime Bureau has been tracking the thefts since the start of the pandemic. They found catalytic converter thefts have gone up more than 1200 percent, and the Miami Valley is no exception.

“There was eight in one night, just in a parking lot of a business so that alone, that’s a big financial burden for somebody who may not have the means to get something like that replaced,” Johnson said.

People like Oldhan now feel secure parking their car anywhere.

“Anyone that goes underneath there is gonna go ‘Oops’ and probably turn around and go right back out again because it’s going to be marked,” Oldhan said.

The event was so popular that police said they are now working on future dates to host another one so more people can come and protect themselves.

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