Skokie police distribute catalytic converter alarms to residents

SKOKIE, Illinois - With catalytic converter thefts out of control, Skokie police distributed free alarms to residents on Sunday.

The alarms were distributed in partnership with Farmer's Insurance and North Shore Community Bank.

More than 600 residents signed up for the program, but police had about two hundred available and gave priority to people who drive the most targeted cars, like Toyota Prius and Honda CRV.

"This is the first event of this kind that we're holding," said Skokie Police Sgt. John Oakley. "We have seen neighboring departments do different events, whether its spray-painting catalytic converters or etching numbers in there. We want to try something different to hopefully prevent the theft from happening."

Thieves are targeting catalytic converters because they contain precious metals.