SAV offering free ‘VIN’ etchings on car windows

Nearly 80 vehicles have been reported stolen out of the Green Valley area since November of 2007, and — for the second year in a row — Tucson has been named one of the top 10 cities for per capita rates of vehicle thefts.

Investing in your vehicle’s security is well worth it — and it’s a bonus when that added security comes free of charge.

From noon to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 6, Green Valley Sheriff’s Auxiliary Volunteers will be acid etching Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) into car windows and wind shields at the SAV headquarters, 601 N. La Canada Drive. No appointment is necessary and the process takes about 10 minutes, said SAV officer Greg Zeller, who is in charge of the event.

The VIN, which is assigned in the factory and registered with the federal government, is the most important way law enforcement officers identify stolen cars, preventing theft in many cases and increasing the chances that a stolen vehicle will be recovered, Zeller said.

It is located in several places, the most visible being the dashboard, though the dashboard VIN can be easily replaced or obscured. But if the number is permanently etched into the windshield and all four windows, replacing that glass would be a costly task for the thief and a major deterrent from taking that particular car, he said.

A small sticker will also be placed in the driver’s side window, warning thieves in English and in Spanish about the etched VINs, Zeller said.

For more information, contact the Sheriff’s Auxiliary Volunteers at 520-351-6744.

jrichardson@gvnews.com | 547-9726