Livermore police, Las Positas College to host free catalytic converter etching event

Motorists can have their catalytic converters marked with a traceable ID number at a free event hosted by the Livermore Police Department and Las Positas College.

LIVERMORE — Motorists can have their catalytic converters marked with a traceable ID number free of charge Tuesday in Livermore.

Livermore police and Las Positas College are hosting the etching event from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the college’s Automotive Department on Loop Road, Building 3500. The cutoff time for the last vehicle in line will be 3 p.m.

The goal is to make catalytic converters less attractive to thieves and easier to trace if stolen, according to a press release. Technicians will take control of vehicles to drive them onto a lift. The service is first come, first served, and no appointment is required.

Catalytic converters, which reduce the pollutants a vehicle emits, hold valuable metals in their core, making them attractive to criminals. In 2021, about 1,600 catalytic converters were reported stolen each month in California, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California. And California accounted for 37% of all catalytic converter theft claims in the country.