Klein/ Dinowitz Sponsor Anti- Wheel Theft VIN Etching Clinics

BRONX, N.Y. – Responding to a spike in alloy tire rim thefts in their communities, Senator Jeffrey D. Klein, (D-Bronx/ Westchester), and Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, (D-Bronx), will be partnering with local police to hold a series of free VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) etching clinics.

During these events, the first of which will be held this Thursday in Riverdale, trained officers will be etching these VINs on a car's windshield and its tire rims. Having these markings will make the car and its parts easier to trace and much more difficult for criminals to sell. 

Senator Klein and Assemblyman Dinowitz also sponsor legislation (A.7646/ S.5414) that would require serial numbers to be placed on all such wheels, which typically cost as much as $3,000 a set and can be easily taken off with simple tools. Currently, many of these alloy wheels are manufactured without any kind of marking, or serial number, making it very difficult to track down stolen sets.

“This quick, free, service will help protect your property and thwart the thieves who have been increasingly preying on our communities,” Senator Klein said. “ I thank Captain Green, Captain Burke, and Deputy Inspector Nicholson for working with me to make these events possible. The next step will be to make the legislation I sponsor with Assemblyman Dinowitz law and give police the tools they need to track and recover this stolen property, as well as bring these criminals to justice.”

“The number one target of car thieves these days is actually not the cars themselves, but the wheels. Our legislation will give law enforcement an important tool in fighting this scourge. Etching VIN numbers, whether it’s on rims or windshields, will make it easier to catch those individuals who prey on our community, and that’s why it’s important for car owners to attend any one of these free VIN etching events,” said Assemblyman Dinowitz.

The etching clinics will be held:

The clinics and the legislation are the result of a rash of tire rim thefts in the communities that both lawmakers represent. According to police, these thefts account for more than 20 percent of all felony thefts in some police precincts and have already exceeded 2010 numbers in many of them.

The Klein/ Dinowitz legislation is modeled after similar, successful pushes to deter airbag and stereo theft.  

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