Free VIN etching in Riverdale Wednesday

Despite his role in movies about illegal cars,
Vin Diesel will not be etched onto your car.

Riverdale isn't known for a hefty amount of crime, so the biggest issues are typically stolen iPods, car tire thefts, and bandits posing as Con Ed employees to rob the elderly. 

OK, so one of those isn't exactly a reoccurring issue. But the car tire theft certainly is. So much so, that last year, then 50th Precinct commanding officer Deputy Inspector Brandon Del Pozo was a leading voice in wanting manufacturers to begin putting a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) on commonly stolen parts, such as tire rims and windshields. He worked with his local elected official, Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, who found a co-sponsor in fellow Riverdale official state Senator Jeffrey Klein, to create legislation that would require VIN be engraved on the wheels of all motor vehicles sold in New York.

Tomorrow, to promote the legislation, the 50th Precinct (now commanded by Captain Kevin Burke) will join the two elected officials and offer free VIN etching from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Riverdale Neighborhood House.

I put in a call to Geico (my insurance company), and they said it will reduce my bi-annual payment by $4.40. That's not much, but that equates to either one Guinness, one gallon of milk, 4.25 hours of metered parking or a slice of buffalo chicken pizza. As Dinowitz put it, "Better the money be in your pocket than the insurance company's." According to his office, State Farm gives a 3% discount for anti-theft VIN etching. I think I need to call Geico back and start complaining...3% is much more than the pocket change Geico wants to give me.