January 6, 2023
BORDENTOWN TOWNSHIP, NJ (BURLINGTON)–Police say that on the morning of December 7, 2022 Bordentown Township Officers responded to the Bordentown Regional School District’s school bus depot located on Dunns Mill Rd. for a report of catalytic converters that had been stolen overnight from five (5) school busses.
These items were altogether valued at $13,084 and a subsequent investigation undertaken by Det. Moloney led to criminal charges of criminal conspiracy, burglary, theft and criminal mischief being filed on January 4, 2023 against the below subjects for this incident:
Markel Davis, age – 25, Lakeshore Dr. Camden NJ 08104.
Khalil Davis, age – 23, Saunders St. Camden NJ 08105.
Catalytic converter thefts have skyrocketed across the nation because these items contain several types of recyclable materials that can be scrapped for a quick profit. Our Police Department has focused a lot of attention on this crime trend and cleared nine (9) incidents of catalytic converter thefts in 2022 with arrests.
What can you do to prevent this type of theft?
* Park your car in a garage or well-lit area.
* Install security cameras in the area where you normally park.
* Adjust the alarm on your vehicle to activate from vibrations. Thieves use a saw to cut out the catalytic converter so those vibrations would activate the alarm.
*Engrave your VIN number onto your catalytic converter to make it easier to identify in case it does get stolen.
*Install a catalytic converter specific security device.
*Report suspicious activity. It only takes minutes for a thief to remove a catalytic converter.
All persons are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
File photos from the raid in North Hanover Burlington County on November 2, 2022 Catalytic Converter theft is a national problem due to the high value precious metals they contain.