BAIT CAR ANNIVERSARY SALUTES DROP IN AUTO CRIME

VANCOUVER – Nine thousand fewer vehicles have been stolen over the past three years thanks to B.C.’s bait car program – the biggest in North America, Solicitor General John Les said today while celebrating the program’s third anniversary.

"Back in the late l990s, auto theft was on the rise in B.C. and had reached unacceptable levels, to the point where media had dubbed parts of the Lower Mainland the auto theft capital of North America," said Les. "Government and police knew we had to take action and together we have created one of the most successful auto theft fighting programs on the continent."

Les congratulated police throughout B.C. and especially the Integrated Municipal Provincial Auto Crime Team (IMPACT) for their hard work in putting this innovative program to good use.

Since the bait cars hit the streets in spring 2004, ICBC claims figures show auto theft has dropped 35 per cent in British Columbia. From the spring of 2003 to spring 2004, 26,000 vehicles were stolen. In comparison, from spring 2006 to spring 2007, 17,000 vehicles were stolen provincewide.

In 2003, the year before the bait car program started across the Lower Mainland and the Fraser Valley, ICBC paid out approximately $100 million in stolen vehicle claims. In 2006, that number dropped to about $70 million.

Bait cars are also used to combat thefts from vehicles. Police plant property in the cars in highrisk areas. Video and still pictures of suspects caught on tape are released to the media for identification and the public is quick to call and help the police. Vehicle break-ins are down 32 per cent both provincially and in the Lower Mainland over the past three years. In 2003, ICBC paid out approximately $28 million for vehicle break-ins versus $22 million in 2006.

"ICBC invests in programs that help reduce crashes and auto crime because it helps to keep insurance rates low and stable for our customers," said ICBC director of road safety and loss prevention Nicolas Jimenez. "The bait car program, with the help of other auto crime initiatives, has been successful in reducing auto crime and making our roads safer."

In addition to bait cars, police are using several other auto crime fighting tools, including Air One, the $2.2-million helicopter that serves communities across the Lower Mainland, and Automatic Licence Plate Recognition (ALPR) technology, which helps police officers keep dangerous drivers off the road. Community volunteer patrols, partnerships with businesses, municipalities, and awareness initiatives are also helping to reduce auto crime.

"There are many programs, initiatives, volunteers and dedicated police officers that have worked together to drive down auto crime," said Inspector Wayne Holland, Officer in Charge of IMPACT. "I’m pleased that the bait car programs continue to be the flagship for fighting auto crime in British Columbia."

Cindy Rose
Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General
250 356-6961

For more information on government services or to subscribe to the Province's news feeds using RSS, visit the Province's website.