Montgomery County police will etch a unique serial number onto your catalytic converter for free on Wednesday as part of the department's "Operation: Etch & Catch" program.

The service marks converters with both an etched ID number and paint, making stolen parts easier for police to trace and harder for thieves to sell at scrap yards. Participants also receive a window decal signaling that their converter has been marked.

"Thieves are after your catalytic converter… but we’ve got a plan. Join us for Operation: Etch & Catch — a simple, FREE way to help protect your vehicle and make it easier to recover if stolen," the MCPD posted to their Facebook.

The event follows a spike in vehicle-related crimes in the patrol districts covering Potomac and North Potomac. Police crime summaries from early July document multiple vehicle thefts, stolen rims and at least one catalytic converter theft in the Rockville-Potomac area. The July 4th holiday weekend alone brought a carjacking, a motorcycle theft and multiple stolen vehicles across those districts, according to Montgomery County Police reports.

Catalytic converters are frequent targets because they contain platinum, palladium and rhodium, precious metals that fetch high prices as scrap. In early July, police reported four converters stolen from vehicles in a single day in Montgomery County, according to WJLA.

How to sign up

Appointments for Wednesday are first-come, first-served. Residents register by scanning a QR code on the department's event flyer, posted on the MCPD Facebook page (@mcpnews). The specific location is shared only after an appointment is confirmed.

The program is free. Local body shops and vehicle service centers partner with MCPD to perform the etching at the event.

A prior event date already filled up, according to the department's Facebook post.

Why it matters for Potomac drivers

The 1st District, which covers Potomac, falls within the patrol zone where recent thefts have been logged. Police have not released Potomac-specific converter theft numbers, but the broader area trend is what prompted the department to expand the program.

Residents who witness suspicious activity under vehicles or hear a loud saw at night can call the Montgomery County Police non-emergency line at 301-279-8000 or dial 911 for crimes in progress.