On the night from Tuesday to Wednesday, Peter Bakker’s Prius (Toyota) had to suffer. Two people decided to jack up the Horinees’ car around 3.15 am and in no time they had the Prius’s catalytic converter in their hands. “I have seen the camera images of the neighbor and it shows that they had the loot within two minutes.”
He has lived in his beloved Kersenboogerd on the Han Hoekstrahof for over 25 years, but the Horinees had never experienced anything like this before. “Nota bene you park the car in front of the door”, he sighs, who has now filed a report. “And that you are then robbed, does not give you a safe feeling of course.”
Bakker works at Tata Steel in IJmuiden and was working at night when it happened. “My girlfriend was just at home and she saw that the wiring was loose. When I went to look the next morning, I saw that the catalytic converter was gone.”
The Horinees has since filed a report with the police and, thanks to the neighbors, even has footage of the suspects. “Unfortunately, the neighbor does not want to make the images public for privacy reasons,” he continues. “The police do have the images in their hands, but I doubt whether they are of any use, because you do not see them well in the dark.”
3 notifications this week
The Prius is now at the damage company Dampten in Hoorn to be repaired. “Fortunately, my car is fully insured,” says Bakker. “But of course you always lose your own risk and it remains a hassle.”
The owner of car damage company Dampten has already received two reports this week of cars in which the catalytic converter has been stolen. “The damage can amount to 1,000 euros,” concludes the entrepreneur, who prefers to remain anonymous. “Stealing catalytic converters has been going on for some time. I see this happening more often, especially with the Toyota Prius and the Mitsubishi.”
From the entrepreneur’s perspective, there is no emerging trend. “We’re seeing more of a structural wave of robberies,” he continues. “Usually when we get a report, we almost always know for sure that cars will follow.”
After asking around other large damage companies in Hoorn, it appears that there have been a total of three reports this week in which the catalyst was stolen. The structure is as follows: Dampten (2), Van Mossel (1), Broekhuis (0) and ASN (0).
Law enforcement
According to a police spokesperson, the base team in Hoorn actively approached residents of Hoorn in possession of a Prius (Toyota) between the end of December 2021 and the end of January 2022 in the context of theft of catalytic converters from these vehicles.
As a result of various reports, it became clear that catalyst thieves were after the catalysts of these vehicles in Hoorn. The owners have been made aware of the theft and the investigation by the police into the perpetrators. The police also provided prevention tips.
“For example, park the locked car in a well-lit place,” police spokesman Felicity Bijnaar said. “Or make it difficult for thieves by securing the catalytic converter extra or by welding or mounting a plate over it. This costs a fraction of the damage if the catalytic converter is removed.”