Bait cars help drive thefts down

April 5, 2008 Penticton Herald

Vehicle thefts are down significantly in Kelowna and Vernon, partly because of bait cars. In Kelowna, the thefts have been reduced 40 per cent since the bait car program started three years ago. "From 2005 to 2007, we‘re down 40 per cent,” said Const. Graham French of the Kelowna RCMP. “There are a variety of initiatives we‘re doing, but I‘d say the bait cars play a large role in it.” In Vernon, thefts have been reduced from 828 in 2004 to about 710 in 2007. “Bait cars are one part of it,” said Vernon RCMP spokesperson Gord Molendyk. “There are other programs that ICBC and the police are running. As well, many people now have immobilizers in their vehicles.” Figures from Penticton are much different. The Peach City has seen an increase in thefts of 62 per cent between 2003 and 2007. Cpl. Rick Dellebuur of the Penticton RCMP said a handful of prolific thieves are responsible for nearly all of the vehicle thefts in the city. “When we get them in jail, our numbers go down, and when they get back out of jail, our numbers go up,” he said.

The most recent bait car bust occurred in Kelowna at 6:30 p.m. Thursday when a car was stolen from the area of Spall Road and Highway 97. The vehicle was monitored and then disabled by remote control in the parking lot of Orchard Park mall. The driver ran from the stolen vehicle through the parking lot, but he was caught a short distance away by police. A 32-year-old man from Port Hardy, who is known to police, is charged with possession of stolen property over $5,000. He remains in custody. The number of bait cars in any city is a police secret, but French said the provincewide program that supplies the cars – called IMPACT – has the largest fleet of bait cars in North America. “There are a variety of vehicles,” French said. “It‘s based on what are the top cars that are being stolen. Some are worth well over $5,000 while some are under.” It‘s a lesser charge for “theft under $5,000.” French said he follows the offenders in court and, although he didn‘t have any figures available Friday, he thinks the sentences are appropriate. “We‘ve gotten fairly good sentencing on bait cars,” he said. “I‘ve been satisfied with the sentences.” The doors of the bait car can be remotely locked, but police seldom do that for what French terms “liability reasons.” If a bait car is stolen, it triggers an alarm in Vancouver, where all of the bait cars are monitored. Between cellphone connection with the local police and GPS monitoring, the cars are usually tracked down quickly. “Usually, they know right away they have been caught in a bait car,” said French. “They clue in pretty quick.” He said many of the thieves are embarrassed to have been duped.