The MIT Campus Police Crime Prevention Unit, in conjunction with the Governor's Auto Theft Strike Force, will conduct a window-etching program to help car owners deter thieves.
The program will take place on Thursday, May 6 from 9:30am-2:45pm in the Sloan School parking lot. No appointment is necessary. Participants must bring their automobile registration and $10 in cash (no checks will be accepted) for the 20-minute procedure. It will be canceled if there is heavy rain.
Permanently etching the vehicle identification number on auto glass has proven effective against theft and resale of stolen car parts. Owners can get discounts of up to a 15 percent on their comprehensive auto insurance when no other antitheft device is in place.
LAPTOP TAGGING
Campus Police and the Information Security Office will install antitheft tags on laptop computers on Friday, May 7 from 11am-2pm in Lobby 7 for $10 per computer (cash or purchase requisition). The fee includes a permanent, tamper-proof tag and indelible marking, plus registration of the laptop in a database managed by STOP (Security Tracking of Office Property), the company providing the service. A second sticker warns potential thieves of the theft protection system.
For more information about the tagging, see the STOP web page at http://www.stoptheft.com. Questions about either program may be directed via e-mail to the Campus Police Crime Prevention Unit at crimbite@mit.edu.
A version of this article appeared in the May 5, 1999 issue of MIT Tech Talk (Volume 43, Number 29).
