COLORADO, USA — Colorado State Patrol is offering to etch a special serial number onto your catalytic converter for free, in an effort to help track it down if it gets stolen.
This year, nearly 2,500 catalytic converters have been stolen in Colorado. Stolen parts are being sold to parts dealers, or on the black market.
"There's black market metal recyclers who are smelting these goods for the metals and then transacting them, and then the black market area where these converters are being stolen off vehicles to be resold, to be put on other vehicles that also had their converters stolen," Cale Gould with the Colorado Auto Theft Prevention Authority said.
Colorado State Patrol etches serial numbers that can't be removed. The numbers are chemically etched onto the metal.
"Once you place the label on the catalytic converter, you apply the fluid, it etches that number into the catalytic converter," Gould said. "That unique number then gets tied into your vehicle's VIN number and is traceable and accountable for law enforcement."
About 3,500 cars statewide have been enrolled in the program. Of those, five had their catalytic converters stolen. Thanks to the serial numbers, investigators were able to track down three of them.
To learn how to get a free etching, visit lockdownyourcar.org.
FROM 2021: Law enforcement, AAA start nation's first catalytic converter anti-theft program in Colorado
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