BARRHEAD - The Barrhead and Area Regional Crime Coalition (BARCC) hope to take a bite out of a recent rash of catalytic converter thefts, or at least help the police try to find the culprit.
As of June 15, Barrhead RCMP has received 27 reports of stolen or attempted theft of catalytic converters in the detachment area.
BARCC is a partnership between Woodlands County, the Town of Barrhead and the County of Barrhead, and the Barrhead RCMP and rural crime watch.
It was formed in the spring of 2018, at least partly due to discussions Peace River-Westlock MP Arnold Viersen had with all parties around initiatives to combat rural crime.
Last week BARCC unveiled an initiative where residents who have their vehicles serviced at select local repair shops can request to have their Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) engraved onto the catalytic converter.
BARCC committee chair and County of Barrhead Coun. Ron Kleinfeldt has stated at multiple recent council meetings that the committee has been working for several months towards the program, starting with looking at other municipalities or organizations that have created similar initiatives for inspiration.
Ultimately, they decided that BARCC, through rural crime watch, would purchase the engravers and make them available to participating area automotive repair shops.
"This is a great project that helps the community, helps the RCMP, and helps catch criminals," he said via a media release announcing the program's launch.
Participating shops in the Town of Barrhead include Barrhead Ford, Grizzly Trail Motors, Kal Tire, North End Auto Body and Reliance Motors. In the County of Barrhead, D&D Auto Mechanic, Haitel's Garage and the Neerlandia Co-op have signed on to the program.
Barrhead and District Rural Crime Watch president Al Suprovich encouraged residents to inquire about the availability of such a service at their local repair shop.
He also noted that while only Barrhead businesses are providing the service, other repair shops in the BARCC area are encouraged to participate, adding those interested in joining the program should contact the County of Barrhead communications and special project coordinator Adam Vanderwekken at 780-674-3331 or by e-mail at [email protected].
Barrhead RCMP Sgt. Bob Dodds, in a previous interview, noted the reason why catalytic converters are an attractive target for thieves is that they contain small amounts of precious metals, including platinum, palladium and rhodium, the latter two of which fetch a higher price than gold on the commodities market.
"Unfortunately, these thefts cost victims a great deal more money than the thieves make," he said in the BARCC media release. "Anything we can do to deter these thefts or hold thieves accountable makes Barrhead a better place to live."
Barry Kerton, TownandCountryToday.com
