LAKELAND – In a unique partnership, Bonnyville and St. Paul RCMP are teaming up with the Alberta Motor Association and Kal Tire to encourage people to ‘Tag your Cat’.
Catalytic converter theft is recognized as a serious crime trend in Alberta and proving expense for people who have had their vehicles targeted.
The ‘Tag you Cat’ initiative encourages Albertans to take their vehicles to a Kal Tire outlet to have their catalytic converter etched with their vehicle identification number (VIN) number. Having an identifying number on the catalytic converter will assist the RCMP in recovery of stolen catalytic converters and provide essential evidence to further criminal investigations, according to a media announcement issued by S/Sgt. Sarah Parke of the Bonnyville RCMP.
Kal Tire stores in Bonnyville and St. Paul offer this service for $40 per vehicle. For vehicles with two catalytic converters the charge is $40 for the first and $20 for the second.
“Catalytic converter theft is predominantly a crime of opportunity where the vehicle has been left easily accessible to the offender,” according to Parke.
While catalytic converter thefts tend to occur more often in urban settings, Parke, together with S/Sgt. Robert Burgess of the St. Paul RCMP “recommend that rural residents strongly consider ‘tagging their cat’ as most people find themselves travelling to urban centres from time to time, not to mention it does also happen in the rural areas.”
Tips from the RCMP to prevent theft of catalytic converters include:
- Engrave your vehicle VIN on its catalytic converter. This may alert a scrap metal dealer that it was stolen, and this will also make it easier to identify the rightful owner.
- Park in well-lit areas and close to building entrances, when possible.
- Park your vehicle inside your garage and keep all garage doors shut and locked.
- Business owners should secure their vehicles behind locked fences or inside a locked building.
- Set your car’s alarm to go off when it detects vibration.
- If you see anyone underneath a vehicle or around a resident/business at odd hours of day or night, report it to your local police.
To learn more about AMA efforts to keep your vehicles safe from theft visit their website: ama.ab.ca/news/tag-your-cat-program-goes-provincewide
If you have any information on property crimes in your area, you are encouraged to contact the Bonnyville or St. Paul RCMP at 780-826-3358 or 780-645-8870 respectively, or your local police. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8444 (TIPS), online at www.P3Tips.com or by using “P3 Tips” app available through the Apple App or Google Play Store.
