Week of action to tackle rise in converter theft

POLICE officers have carried out a week-long clampdown on catalytic converter thefts.

According to the National Police Chief’s Council (NPCC) there was a 64 per cent increase in offences during 2020 compared to the previous year.

The NPCC spearheaded a national ‘week of action’ to tackle the thefts between April 19 and 23.

During that time Staffordshire Police says officers saw a fall in catalytic converter thefts.

Chief Inspector David Wain, who ran the county’s operation, said: “There was a significant amount of targeted pro-active work based on intelligence.

“We had extra officers engaged in patrolling hotspots for this type of crime, including patrols in the early hours of the morning, which is when a large number of offences seem to be happening.

“There was a significant reduction in catalytic converter crimes over the past week but the public should remain vigilant.”