SHEBOYGAN - An emission control device on vehicles has become a prime target for thieves nationwide, including in Sheboygan.

Sheboygan police on Monday said in a news release that thefts of catalytic converters are on the rise in the city.

The device is part of a vehicle's exhaust system, is externally located and contains valuable precious metals like platinum, palladium and rhodium, which is why it is a target for thieves.

Police said theft of a catalytic converter can be done by experienced thieves in just a few minutes, making it hard to detect.

They also said the crime can be prevented if police and the community work together to practice prevention and report suspicious activity.

Police said the following vehicles are more susceptible to "CAT" theft:

1985-2021 Ford F-Series pickup trucks

1999-2021 Chevrolet Silverado pickup trucks

According to Sheboygan police, the following steps can help prevent the theft of a catalytic converter:

If you are the owner of one of the common target vehicles, consider installing a “Cat shield” or “Cat lock,” which helps secure the catalytic converter to your vehicle. The devices can typically be installed for around $250-$800.

Etch your license plate number onto your catalytic converter. This identifiable marking may make the thief think twice about taking it and also helps police to identify the part if it is found later, especially in the hands of a thief.

Park in well-lit areas near public entrances or along frequently traveled streets. Thieves do not like to be seen.

Give your “CAT” a bright paint job, and create a visible deterrent to alert thieves to move on.

Install motion-sensing lights and cameras that cover your parking area.

“If you see something, say something!” This is as simple as keeping an eye out in your neighborhood for people who are working underneath vehicles or paying attention for unusual sounds, such as a metal sawing noise at night, and then calling police to report any suspicious activity.

Anyone with information about catalytic converter theft can call Sheboygan police at 920-459-3333 or report information anonymously via Crime Stoppers at 877-283-8436 or online at cufthem.com.

Contact Brandon Reid at 920-686-2984 or breid@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @breidHTRNews.

This article originally appeared on Sheboygan Press: Sheboygan police share how to prevent catalytic converter theft

A Philadelphia woman remains in critical condition after someone set her on fire in a brutal assault. Police responded to reports of rubbish fire on an East Tioga Street in the Kensington section of Philadelphia around 12:36 a.m. on Friday and found a 36-year-old woman who had been set on fire, according to a statement from Philadelphia police to Oxygen.com. Per WPVI-TV, the victim was identified as Alyssa Morales, who had suffered severe burns on more than 60 percent of her body. Medical staff

A prosecutor has asked a federal judge to sentence Jerry Harris, a former star of the Netflix documentary series “Cheer,” to 15 years in prison for coercing teenage boys to send him obscene photos and videos of themselves and soliciting sex from minors at cheerleading competitions. Attorneys for Harris are seeking a sentence of six years. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly Guzman wrote in a sentencing memo late Wednesday that Harris used “his status as a competitive cheerleader, his social media persona, and eventually his celebrity and money, to persuade and entice his young victims to engage in sexually explicit conduct for him or with him.”

A man looking for his lost rooster made a chilling discovery Tuesday evening, according to the West Palm Beach Police Department.

Dashcam video captured the tense standoff outside a home.

A California man who was arrested for allegedly torturing and disfiguring a woman earlier this month has been identified as a former police officer. Peter Anthony McGuire, 59, was arrested on June 11 for the false imprisonment of a young woman, who he allegedly kept captive while sexually and physically abusing her over the course of several months, the Chino Hills Police Department said in a press release. He was charged with kidnapping, torture, aggravated mayhem, rape, false imprisonment and

It’s been eight years of investigating and prosecuting since the Hells Angels murder took place in Fresno.

After being found 37 years ago, this homemaker has finally identified the remains of this victim.

Jaret Wright was sentenced Thursday to three years of probation. Before he begins probation, he has to successfully complete sex offender treatment.

Glenn Hirsch, the Queens man accused of fatally shooting food delivery worker Zhiwen Yan, has reportedly raised $500,000 to get himself out of jail as early as next week. An investigation revealed that the Great Wall patron had been involved in a series of disturbing encounters with the restaurant’s staff, which allegedly stemmed from a duck sauce dispute last November. At the time, Hirsch reportedly asked for more duck sauce after already taking an entire bin.

How about that for a plot twist?

The former Minneapolis police officer who fatally shot an unarmed woman who called 911 to report a possible sexual assault in the alley behind her home is scheduled to be released from prison next week, months after his murder conviction was overturned and he was resentenced on a lesser charge. Mohamed Noor, 36, is scheduled to be released from custody Monday, according to online Department of Corrections records. Noor was initially convicted of third-degree murder and manslaughter in the 2017 fatal shooting of Justine Ruszczyk Damond, a 40-year-old dual U.S.-Australian citizen and yoga teacher who was engaged to be married.

The customer had thrown a drink at the manager, according to police.

A registered sex offender has now been arrested and charged in connection to a horrifying incident in Dyersburg, Tennessee, according to the Dyersburg Police Department.

‘You have revealed yourself to be a monster,’ U.S. District Court judge told ringleader at Florence sentencing hearing. An Horry County conspirator got 22 years.

A California man has been accused by federal prosecutors of climbing onto the roof of a Massachusetts family’s garage so he could secretly record an 11-year-old girl as she changed in her bedroom.

Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast/HandoutA Texas woman accused of fatally shooting a rising professional cyclist after becoming enraged over a relationship the woman previously had with her live-in boyfriend sold her Jeep to a local car dealership before going on the lam, authorities said Thursday. Kaitlin Marie Armstrong, the amateur cyclist and yoga teacher who has been missing for more than a month, is facing charges for the May 11 killing of 25-year-old Anna Moriah Wilson, a Vermont nati

A man is facing multiple charges after police say he raped a woman and forced her into prostitution in Pittsburgh.

The 13-year veteran of the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office was arrested in 2019 on charges that he often had sex with a minor over a three-years.

Christopher Thomas pleaded guilty Friday morning to a count of murder in the 137th District Court.

Casey LaCaze-Lachney posted a TikTok video after receiving a public indecency charge and the video quickly went viral gaining over 2.6 million views.