Free VIN Etching Saturday at Home Depot in Manassas

MANASSAS CITY, VA — Need a nifty weapon to prevent your vehicle from being stolen? Well, here's a tip that's not widely known.

If you get your vehicle identification number (VIN) etched onto your windows, professional thieves notice — and scurry away to another target, according to Manassas City Police.

So Saturday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Home Depot on 8805 Liberia Avenue, police will be providing free window etching.

Here's the skinny, provided by police:

"All vehicles carry a federally-assigned number known as a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). Making sure those numbers are marked permanently on a vehicle's windows steers thieves away. Why? Well, for one thing, disposing of a vehicle whose windows have been VIN etched takes time, trouble and money, all in short supply for thieves. That's because the windows of stolen VIN Etched vehicles must be stripped and replaced before a thief can get rid of the car, a costly and time-consuming process. And VIN Etching obliterates any potential profit professional thieves might have gleaned from the lucrative practice of selling windows and windshields for parts via chop shops. VIN Etching is simple, fast, safe, relatively inexpensive and won't mar the look of the vehicle. Numbers are etched into the glass with a chemical solution. And those numbers will be there for good."

All you need is a valid driver's license and registration. Some dealerships, police say, charge up to $300 for the service.

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