On July 21, Harris County Police Department Sgt. Tracy Hicks etched vehicle identification numbers onto area cars to help combat auto theft. The free service was offered at Champion Emergency Services District. VIN etchings, which are about 3 inches long and less than a quarter inch tall, are detailed by the HCPD on all six pieces of glass on the car to make vehicles less desirable to thieves, officials said. “What we do is put that 17-[digit] number on all pieces of the glass on your car,” Hicks said. “A bad guy sees that and says, ‘I’m going to have replace all the glass,’ which to him is not profitable.” When a thief steals a car, the two VINs can be easily removed, Hicks said. Seventeen-character VINs are in two places in a car: the dashboard and a sticker on the driver side door. Thieves often replace the numbers with fake VIN plates in order to resell the car. “In the Houston area, we have approximately 40 cars a day stolen,” Hicks said. “They sell your car on Craigslist, and unsuspecting victims buy these cars. They might drive them for a couple of years before they find out that their car was stolen.” Hicks said car dealerships will sometimes charge $50-$300 for the etching service and disguise the fee in something called “anti-theft deterrent product.” “It’s an extra $50 that took five minutes to do,” he said. To arrange a VIN etching for your vehicle, Hicks said to talk to a community service officer or visit an HPD storefront, such as 17375 Tomball Parkway, near Willowbrook Mall, and ask for the free service. If there is enough community demand—more than 10 people—Hicks said a group etching will be arranged. In addition to car theft, about 100-120 cars are broken into every day, he said. People leave items in cars that are attractive to thieves. “Burglary of motor vehicle is the most preventable crime there is,” he said. “Don’t leave anything in your car.”