By Shirley Bond
Minister of Justice and Attorney General
March 8, 2012

VICTORIA - As Auto Crime Enforcement Month begins, the Province, police and ICBC representatives are coming together to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the provincial Bait Car Program - the most successful of its kind in North America, led by the Integrated Municipal Provincial Auto Crime Team (IMPACT).

British Columbia has been a leader in dramatically reducing auto crime over the past 10 years. The Bait Car Program has been successful because it has always maintained the element of surprise and because IMPACT is dedicated to evolving and adapting to auto crime trends.

Last year, for example, after observing a steady trend of about 500 trailer thefts a year, we added bait trailers to the fleet. These bait campers and cargo/utility units use GPS for tracking by police and stealthy data-dot marking technology to help identify stolen contents down the road. So, if you're buying a trailer, always be sure to check that the vehicle identification number [VIN] matches the one on the registration documents.

What can you do to avoid being one of 25 people in B.C. who today will pull out their keys - only to stare at a bare patch of pavement where their vehicle used to be? If your vehicle is older, you'll want to do more. The average stolen vehicle in B.C. was built around 2001. Part of why they're more attractive to thieves is that they're less likely to have an effective anti-theft device.

According to ICBC, an electronic immobilizer will reduce your chance of auto theft by 80 per cent. They are hard-wired into vehicles and designed to shut down the starter, ignition and/or fuel system. Without a special key or electronic device, your vehicle can't be started by thieves.

Car alarms and steering wheel locks are also an option, but the benefit of an immobilizer is widely acknowledged as your best preventative tool. In fact, by law, new vehicles built in Canada have had engine immobilizers since September 2007.

Still, an engine immobilizer won't help prevent a vehicle break-in, so consider the following:

• Always close your windows and lock your doors.
• Take your valuables with you when you leave your vehicle. 
• Keep any garage door remote controls out of sight.
• Keep your spare keys with you and ensure your valet key is removed from your vehicle.
• In parkades, avoid parking in areas with poor visibility, where thieves feel safer breaking in. Elsewhere, park in well-lit areas near pedestrian traffic.
• After opening an automatic gate to enter underground parking, watch and wait for the door to close behind you so that thieves cannot slip inside.
• Engrave your stereo and other onboard valuables with your driver's licence number or other unique markings so they're less attractive to thieves and easier for police to return if they're stolen.

While Hollywood or the electronic gaming industry may portray car thieves as action heroes, our Bait Car videos tell the real story: Steal a Bait Car, Go to Jail.

So to car thieves - just because there isn't a cruiser on your tail, doesn't mean you haven't been caught. You just might not know it yet.

And to all B.C. vehicle owners, don't make it easy. If you value it, immobilize it, lock it, hide it, engrave it, keep it with you and always be careful where you park.

Media Contact:

Ministry of Justice
Government Communications and Public Engagement
250 356-6961