PA Commission On Crime and Delinquency Participates in Auto Theft Prevention Clinic

HARRISBURG, Pa., Oct. 25, 2004 -- As part of Crime Prevention Month, employees of the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency took steps today to prevent theft of their automobiles.

"VIN-etching is quick, easy and free to Pennsylvania consumers," said Chairman Walter M. Phillips Jr. "The Vehicle Identification Number is chemically etched into all windows of a vehicle as a means of deterring auto theft -- a crime that impacts thousands of Pennsylvanians every year."

The Auto Theft Prevention Authority, established by the Legislature in 1994, provides free VIN-etching clinics to Commonwealth citizens as a means of discouraging auto thieves who steal about 85 automobiles in Pennsylvania each day.

The ATPA, which uses no tax dollars, is funded through annual assessments paid by auto insurance companies doing business in Pennsylvania.

To learn more and to see a schedule of events: http://www.watchyourcar.org/