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Have you heard about the new proactive anti-catalytic converter theft device?

07 June 2023

At the beginning of the year, it was announced that a combined total of almost 100,000 catalytic converter thefts were reports in the previous three years.

Sky News obtained the data, which also showed that thieves in the UK stole 75 of these parts per day in 2022.

A catalytic converter is an exhaust emission control device that converts toxic gases and pollutants from internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles into less-toxic pollutants. They usually contain valuable precious metals which are worth up to £600 on the black market, making them an attractive target for thieves.

A new security and monitoring system has been developed in the US by CATrak Technologies, is now available in the UK. The new device not only helps to prevent catalytic converter theft but can also assist in finding the stolen parts.

The system involves a module which is installed on vehicles, a separately mounted alarm and a custom-cut detect module. It focuses on three areas:

Prevent – A loud alarm, triggered by vibration and motion, deters thieves.

Intercept – The CATrak App notifies the vehicle owner if a theft is in progress. The owner can then notify police and other preselected contacts through the app. 

Recover – The CATrak App displays the location of the theft and tracks the thief and catalytic converter. The vehicle VIN number is entered by the owner when they first set up the app, allowing for easy identification and recovery of the catalytic converter.

Other anti-theft devices on the market are designed to slow thieves down but are not preventative against people removing barriers or using saws that cut through cages.

CATrak co-founder and chief operations officer John Rollins said, “Converters can be stolen in less than two minutes and enormous losses are being borne by insurance companies and fleet operators, as well as the disruption and loss of revenue from vehicles being undriveable.

“We decided to launch in the UK as thefts are reported to be 10 times higher than in North America.

“Criminal gangs are targeting vehicle depots and that’s why we’ve developed a system that allows each device with vehicle ID to be paired with the mobile app. Should a theft be attempted, any designated person can immediately see which vehicle is being tampered with, where it’s located, and take immediate action to prevent it.”

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We trust you find this information interesting.

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Image courtesy of Famous Publicity.

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