Catalytic convertor pilot scheme launched in South Staffordshire

Staffordshire Police have been working closely with partners and have successfully launched a pilot scheme to tackle catalytic convertor crimes across the county.

The scheme is centred around the smart water marking of converters in-order to focus methods of better identifying items involved in thefts, allowing police to effectively support victims and deter offenders from committing these crimes. Neighbourhood Policing Teams (NPT) are increasing proactive efforts in key areas across Staffordshire, where officers are working hard to prevent the opportunity for catalytic converter thefts to occur.

The pilot scheme is underway in South Staffordshire and the public are now taking their vehicles to their respective manufacturers for catalytic converter marking. In conjunction with the increase of NPT presence across the country, this process aims to deliver greater support for victims who suffer from this type of crime, whilst making it increasingly difficult for offenders to facilitate these thefts.

Chief Inspector David Wain, South Staffordshire’s National Policing Team Commander, said: “South Staffordshire have been working with the private sector to apply smart water markings to catalytic converters, which enables stolen items to be linked to victims and is a key step in stopping these criminals.”

Sergeant Ian Fortey said: “This project has been focused towards providing a means to identify stolen catalytic converters. This has been achieved through collaborative working with car manufacturers and coupled with increased proactive patrols, where we aim to bring people to justice.”