Yesterday we wrote about Salem, Oregon's "bait car" program, wherein thieves are lured to steal government-planted cars and land themselves in the pokey. A number of readers have written, clueing us in to the fact that the police in Vancouver, BC have been running a bait car operation of their own for about a year. One comments:
"First, even though there have been several hundred arrests, there has been only one conviction tied to the bait car program in Vancouver. Second, some bait car thieves have gotten away with the bait car, along with over $100,000 (Canadian) in modifications, including sensor electronics, cameras, GPSes, and immobilizers. Third, the cost of each takedown reaches into six digits, as a S.W.A.T. team is called out to each arrest; car thieves are typically defensively hostile when cornered, and some carry weaponry. Fourth, I have about $3000 worth of sound and digital equipment in my $100 car that has no alarms or tint and a plastic bag where my sunroof used to be, and it has never been broken into or stolen; and I live in the 'tough' part of town."
We're keeping an eye on this story.
-Davey G. Johnson
Related:
Jailbait: Oregon Stocks the Theft Pool With Juicy Targets