Car thefts plunge 74% since Bait Car introduced

The B.C. government says car thefts have plunged 74 per cent in the decade since the Bait Car program was introduced.

The government says 10 years ago, B.C. had one of the highest rates of car theft in North America.

But it says those rates have been slashed since the Bait Car program was introduced in 2002, along with increased efforts by police and community volunteers to combat auto crime.

However, the government says older vehicles are still a target for car thieves, and owners are being encouraged to use an anti-theft device like an electronic immobilizer, and remove anything of value from inside their vehicles.