An Affordable and Effective Deterrent against the Professional Vehicle Theft Ring Vinguard is available to North Americans looking for an affordable and effective method of protecting themselves from the financial loss associated with vehicle theft. Vinguard is a proven deterrent, backed by a written guarantee that a vehicle which has been marked, will not be stolen by the professional thieves. In North America, auto theft is a $10 billion "growth industry", enjoying an increase of 200 - 300 percent over the past four years. This rise has been met by the development of numerous anti-theft technologies, including alarm systems and special locking devices, all designed to act as a barrier against thieves entering and removing a vehicle. Vinguard addresses vehicle theft from an entirely different angle. Eighty percent of vehicles are stolen by professional thieves looking to profit from vehicle resale and these individuals can by-pass even the most sophisticated electronic and locking deterrence systems. As a result, it is important to choose a protection system that both discourages theft and provides a means of recovery should your vehicle be stolen. Vinguard permanently "fingerprints" a vehicle with its own V.I.N. (Vehicle Identification Number) on every window and six painted body panel parts. "The only way to remove the V.I.N. is to replace the windows, but that is an expensive procedure and increases the time a thief has the stolen vehicle in their possession" says Ian Hamilton, president of Vinguard. "Window etching also makes a vehicle less attractive to a "chop shop" because not only is the glass useless for resale, but if they are caught with the vehicle, or parts of the vehicle, they can be charged as an accomplice to the original crime."