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VANCOUVER – Building on the
success of the bait car program, B.C.’s new bait boat program is the latest
tool to help law enforcement in the fight against crime, said Solicitor General
John Les.
“More than 160 boats have been stolen in and around the Lower Mainland in the past year and a half. In Kelowna and Penticton, 32 watercraft were stolen, including everything from jet bikes to large pleasure craft,” said Les. “Car thieves have long been afraid of bait cars, and the message to crooks is very clear: on land or on water, steal a bait vehicle and go to jail.”
Like other bait vehicles, bait boats are equipped with global positioning devices, sensors and other high-tech equipment. When a boat is stolen, the location of the vehicle is tracked and police respond.
The bait boat program is run by the Integrated Municipal Provincial Auto Crime Team, funded by government.
The bait car program was created in 2002 and, with the addition of the bait boat program, now includes bait ATVs, snowmobiles and motorcycles. The bait vehicles are located in communities across B.C. During the first quarter of 2006, auto theft in the Lower Mainland dropped by 10 per cent, with a seven per cent drop provincewide.
“Stolen boats are sometimes used for drug smuggling and other criminal activities. Police also tell me that the smaller boats are particularly hard to recover because their appearance and identification numbers can be easily changed,” said Les. “But the bottom line is this – if you steal a bait boat, you’ll be caught.”
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Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General 250 387-0520 |
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For more information on government services or to subscribe to the Province’s news feeds using RSS, visit the Province’s website at www.gov.bc.ca. |
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