Week of action on metal theft

Hertfordshire Constabulary carried out a week of action as part of a national campaign to combat metal theft.
The national operation, which was coordinated by British Transport Police, ran between Thursday 10 and Wednesday 16 February and focused on the theft of and dealing in catalytic converters.

Throughout the week, officers from Safer Neighbourhood Teams across the county carried out several proactive operations and visited local scrap metal dealers.

Officers also used it as an opportunity to further promote and build on the work undertaken as part of Operation Feline – an initiative launched in response to a sharp rise in catalytic converter thefts.

Inspector Nicki Dean, from Hertfordshire Constabulary’s Crime Reduction and Community Safety Unit, said: “We have seen a big rise in thieves targeting catalytic converters over several years. This week of action gave us an opportunity to raise awareness of this type of crime and encourage drivers to take steps to protect their vehicles. We also visited scrap dealers to ensure they are complying with regulations.

“As part of our Op Feline campaign, certain garages across the county are offering a free security marking service and I’d urge residents to take up this offer. We would also urge the public to follow our crime prevention advice, remain vigilant and report incidents of suspected catalytic converter theft, particularly where people are trying to get under cars in public car parks or on public roads. If you see this happening, please call 999 immediately.”