Police have apprehended two of B.C.’s top-10 most wanted auto thieves days after kicking off Auto Crime Enforcement Month.
ICBC recently announced auto theft has decreased by 42 per cent in Penticton between 2009 and 2010 and theft from vehicles dropped 32 per cent during that same period. Days after the announcement, an anonymous tip led to the arrests of two men, one of whom is facing 36 charges.
“Auto theft not only impacts vehicle owners, the resulting insurance payouts adversely impact all drivers,” said Penticton MLA Bill Barisoff.
“These new programs from ICBC are not only keeping Penticton vehicles safer, but they are also helping to keep ICBC rates more affordable for all drivers.”
The province continues to combat car crime with the largest fleet of bait vehicles in the world and a dedicated team of auto theft enforcement police on the ground and in the skies.
A bait trailer was unveiled as one of the newest tools in the bait car program that now includes other recreation vehicles like motorcycles, snowmobiles, personal watercraft and ATVs.
Advanced technology, like the automated licence plate recognition program that can scan 3,000 plates per hour, also help locate stolen vehicles and unlicensed drivers on the road.