The New Hope Police Department has received an allotment of CATGUARD catalytic converter theft deterrent kits from the Minnesota Department of Commerce Fraud Bureau through the Catalytic Converter Theft Prevention Pilot Program. The program intends to deter the theft of catalytic converters by permanently marking them with unique identification numbers. The numbers are registered, allowing law enforcement to trace convertors back to a specific vehicle if stolen and later recovered.

According to the Minnesota Department of Commerce, the most targeted vehicles for catalytic converter theft currently are:

CATGUARD marking kits are available for New Hope residents owning one of the listed vehicles at the New Hope Police department front desk Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Vehicle owners must provide identification, proof of ownership and proof of New Hope residency to pick up a kit. Label registration is critical to the success of this program and must be completed before leaving with a kit. To complete the registration, you will need to provide the following:

• Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
• License Plate Number
• Vehicle make, model and color
• Vehicle owner’s address, telephone number and email address

Please note that the police department does not install the labels. Labels can be installed on your own, or you may contact a participating automotive business if you need assistance with installation. By law, businesses cannot charge for installing a CATGUARD label but may require another service (e.g., an oil change) to install a label.