Toyota West of Columbus, along with the Columbus Police Department, the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), Ohio Insurance Institute (OII), Ohio Department of Insurance and Nationwide Insurance are sponsoring an etching event to help area motorists protect their vehicle's catalytic converters from future theft.

By prior appointment on Thursday, Nov. 6., drivers can have their car's VIN (vehicle identification number) etched on the catalytic converter for free to help minimize theft risk. The etching service runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Toyota West, 1500 Automall Drive in Columbus. The etching takes about 15 minutes and requires a few minutes prior to the etching for the converter to cool down.

Appointments can be made by calling the NICB at 614-789-1793 or by emailing a request to vneal@nicb.org. Please provide the vehicle's VIN when arranging an appointment by phone or email. The vehicle identification number is located in the left corner of the vehicle dashboard and on the declarations page of your auto insurance policy.