Free anti-theft catalytic converter kits

Five hundred lucky San Mateo residents can now worry a little bit less about the fate of their catalytic converters.

That’s because they’ll be receiving protective kits from the San Mateo Police Department, which offered its residents free catalytic converter marking kits — special stickers that can help identifiy converters if they’re stolen.

The program opened up to San Mateo residents on Nov. 17, with hopes of expanding to more residents later on. The first 500 residents — the program was first come, first serve, with only one kit per household — will be notified via email during the week of Nov. 28.

“The police department saw people who were not able to get to work, not able to pick up loved ones, not able to attend to normal duties,” said Alison Gilmore, public relations officer for the San Mateo Police Department.

Gilmore could not immediately provide data to illustrate the extent of San Mateo’s catalytic converter theft problems.

In the Bay Area, the thefts have risen tenfold since the beginning of the pandemic, The Chronicle reported. California, which is leading the nation in catalytic converter thefts, reported more than 10,000 between July 2021 and July 2022.

The kits purchased by the San Mateo Police Department are CatGuard self-install marking kits, which include two ultra-destruct labels with an identification number. This unique serial number will be entered into the CatGuard database, allowing law enforcement to trace the converter to a specific vehicle if it’s stolen.

After placing the sticker identification number on a cold catalytic converter, the car owner then applies a metal etching fluid over the sticker, and turns on the engine of the car to heat the converter — which will etch the sticker on the catalytic converter.

Kit owners can also place two warning stickers on their vehicle to show that their converters have been registered.

“They’re deterrents,” said Gilmore. “It’s crime prevention.”

The program is launching now because new legislation in January will work to ensure that the seller of a catalytic converter is indeed the actual owner of the converter prior to their sale.

Law enforcement agencies all over the country have struggled to contain the rampant crisis of catalytic converter theft, which has become sophisticated to the point that thieves are using phone apps to check prices in real-time for the stolen precious metals. Even police cars are not immune.

The San Mateo Police Department says it is still going through the massive volume of applicants it has already received, which far surpassed 500.

It will also be working with three auto body shops to assist residents who don’t feel comfortable installing the sticker by themselves. The San Mateo shops are Claremont Automotive (945 South Claremont St.), E&J Auto Repair (317 South Norfolk St. #3010), and Ma’s Auto Repair & Smog (2660 S El Camino Real).