Make a difference in your community...get involved with the SVCPC

Bait Car

In 2003 there were more than 30,000 vehicles stolen in the Greater Vancouver area alone. The Bait Car Program was launched by 7 Greater Vancouver area Police Departments to combat this problem.

Click here for the official Bait Car website.

A Bait Car is a vehicle owned by the police and is intended to be stolen. After a bait car is stolen, the location, speed, and direction of travel of the vehicle is monitored by police dispatchers at E-Comm through GPS tracking. Everything that takes place inside the bait car is caught on audio and video. The dispatcher will coordinate a police response and once officers are in position behind the bait car, the engine will be disabled at the click of a mouse button which allows for the quick arrest of the car thieves.

Keeping your vehicle safe requires care and attention of your surroundings. Here are the BAITCAR.com top ten tips to keep your automobile safe.

  1. Keep your spare keys in your wallet, not in your car.
  2. Invest in a good anti-theft device.
  3. Close windows and lock doors. Take your possessions with you.
  4. Avoid parking behind fences or hedges.
  5. At home, light your driveway all night. Elsewhere, park in well-lit areas near pedestrian traffic.
  6. After opening an automatic gate to underground parking, watch out for thieves waiting to slip inside. Wait for the gate to close behind you.
  7. Ask an Autoplan broker about the Combat Auto Theft (CAT) program. CAT stickers authorize police to question anyone driving your vehicle between 1:00 and 5:00 a.m.
  8. Engrave your stereo and other on-board valuables with your driver's licence number.
  9. Install an anti-theft device to protect your stereo, or buy a unit that's removable and take it with you when you park.
  10. If you see any suspicious person or activity near a vehicle, call the police immediately.


—[ back to top ]—