By Dan Corcoran

Eugene, Ore. -- In the last three years, nearly 3,500 vehicles were reported stolen to the Eugene Police Department. But now EPD has a new way to help car owners fight back against thieves. It's called the 'cat' program.

It's proven successful elsewhere, even though it's in effect only four hours each day.  The Combat Auto Theft program has proven successful in the Salem area for more than a decade.

Apply for the cat program, and if accepted, you'll receive a reflective decal to go on the inside of your rear window. If an officer spots the decal on a vehicle that's on the road between 1:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m., that vehicle will be pulled over to find out who's behind the wheel.

If you do want to take part, Eugene residents can pick up an application at any of EPD's three locations. It's free to sign up and the cost of operating the entire CAT program is under a thousand dollars.