Tewksbury Police Warn Of Catalytic Converter Theft

TEWKSBURY, MA — Tewksbury police shared tips recently on avoiding catalytic converter theft after a rash of recent thefts.

The department shared a tipsheet from Lexington Police. Lexington had five reported catalytic converter thefts in one part of town in 24 hours, Lexington police said. Tewksbury has also had recent thefts, Tewksbury police said.

All the Lexington thefts were from 2005-2007 Toyota Priuses parked at residences, while Tewksbury police said "Ford F and E series trucks also seem to be a popular target."

The advice for avoiding theft includes:

• Park in well-lit areas where people can see your car.
• Park in your garage with the door shut.
• Install security systems on your car and where you park it.
• "Install a catalytic converter-specific security device, or have it welded to the car frame. You can also engrave your car's VIN number to the catalytic converter."