Bait cars: 10 years later, still catching thieves in B.C.
Program has reduced the number of stolen cars by 75 per cent in ten years
Ten years after bait cars were first introduced in B.C., RCMP and ICBC say the program has successfully reduced the number of stolen cars by 75 per cent.
The Integrated Municipal Provincial Auto Crime Team (IMPACT) says 70 people a day reported their vehicle stole back in 2003. Today, the average is 17 people report getting their vehicle stolen.
To mark the start of Auto Crime Enforcement month in April, police also released their annual list of B.C.'s ten most wanted auto crime offenders, on Friday.
A total of 95 of the 100 most wanted offenders on the list over the the last decade have been arrested to date, said police.
"Though we may be best known for our BAIT car program, its our enforcement team in the background who are the unsung heroes, ensuring our fleet can be quickly and easily deployed to address hot spots as they occur throughout B.C.," says Inspector Peter Jadis, head of IMPACT.
"We typically see notable drops when we target specific areas."
B.C.'s bait car program, which uses hidden cameras, tracking devices and remote-controlled immobilizers to record and catch thieves in the act of stealing a car, is the largest of its kind in the world, say police.
According to ICBC theft from vehicles has also declined 68 per cent in B.C. since 2003.