NYPD holds etching event to crack down on catalytic converter theft. The etching involves placing stickers with an identifying number & coating them with acid.
NYPD Holds Etching Event continued
The NYPD took new action Friday to crack down on catalytic converter thefts.
It’s exploded into a huge problem across all five boroughs, up from 2,000 cases in 2021 to 7,000 in 2022.
It’s not every day motorists are happy to have their cars stopped by the NYPD. In fact, they lined up hours ahead of time at Orchard Beach waiting for police to mark their catalytic converters, making them less likely to steal.
The NYPD reports that such thefts are up 220 percent over last year. The converters are valuable because of the materials used to make automobile emissions less toxic. Thieves can cut out a device in minutes after which they’re usually sold to scrap yards where they’re melted down and the precious metals extracted.
