B.C. Officials Unveil Olympic Auto Theft Strategy

Terri Goveia | January 29, 2010

Officials in British Columbia intend to keep auto theft rates down during the upcoming Olympics.

Vancouver police will ramp up the ongoing “bait car” program during the Olympic Games by placing more cars—outfitted with video cameras and tracking systems—in 22 public transit parking lots. They will also park the cars, aimed at deterring car thieves or catching them red-handed, at Games training and preparation centres, according to Solicitor General Kash Heed.

More bait, fewer thefts
“This year, B.C.'s auto crime enforcement month coincides with the largest influx of visitors our province has ever seen,” Heed said in a January 26 statement. “Strategic deployment of bait cars, which has cut auto crime by more than half since 2003, will provide drivers with greater peace of mind when they leave their vehicles for the day.”

The province’s Integrated Provincial Municipal Auto Crime Team (IMPACT) will also closely monitor auto theft during the Games, conduct surveillance in trouble zones and deploy teams using license plate scanning and recognition tools to find stolen cars.

Drivers can help stop thefts
The Olympics coincides with Auto Crime Enforcement Month in B.C., and the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) is urging drivers to protect their vehicles. “Car owners can do their part to help keep these numbers falling by ensuring they leave their valuables out of sight, and the doors locked, when they leave their vehicle,” says Nicolas Jimenez, director of road safety for ICBC.

Vehicle theft rates are on the decline: the ICBC reports 2,000 fewer vehicle thefts in 2009-- a 15% decrease from 13,000 in 2008. And break-ins are also falling. The ICBC stats reveal 4,000 fewer thefts from vehicles in 2009, another 15% drop compared to the 23,000 thefts noted in 2008.