The Pittsburgh Police Bureau will provide free vehicle identification number etching to as many as 400 vehicles at Mellon Arena today, in an effort to deter theft and solve the crime when it does happen.

The bureau will permanently etch the vehicle identification numbers on the windows of the automobiles, a process that takes two minutes and affects two inches of each piece of glass.

The event will start at 9 a.m. and end at 1 p.m. It will not occur if it rains. It is sponsored by the state's Automobile Theft Prevention Authority, and there will be no cost to the city.