Police bait Whitehorse car thieves with... cars

Whitehorse police are trying out a big-city tactic to crack down on vehicle thefts setting out "bait cars" to tempt would-be thieves.

RCMP say the police-owned vehicles are meant to be stolen. The bait is laid "in various fashion, in various areas," with an emphasis on high-theft areas, said Sgt. Ian Fraser.

"It'll be difficult, if not impossible, to detect which is going to be a bait car.So someone who is intent on stealing a vehicle is nowjustgoing to be taking a chance, that extra risk," said Fraser.

Police are notified as soon as movement is detected near the vehicle. Then, once the vehicle hits the road, police can track it by GPS.

Police can also control the stolen vehicles remotelyfor example, disabling the engine if public safety is believed to be at risk.

"Bait cars are everywhere. Steal one.Go to jail," says an RCMPnews release.

Fraser says the program has been in place since January, and one person has already been arrested.

Success elsewhere

Similar bait cars are already used by RCMPin B.C. and Alberta. In B.C., where the program has been in place for more than a decade,RCMPcredited the program with a significant drop in vehicle thefts.

The Whitehorse program wasset up with the help of Alberta RCMP's Auto Theft Unit.Fraser credits two officers recently posted to Yukon for spearheading the initiative. He says they were both familiar with the tactic from previous postings.

"They were the driving force," Fraser said.

Yukon RCMP say since January, 24 vehicleshave been reported stolen aroundWhitehorse, including cars, trucks, snowmobiles and ATVs. Nineteenof those have been recovered.

Fraser says they're publicizing the program sothieves will be deterred, and the public reassured.

"We also want the public aware of the fact that we're trying to do something about this problem," he said.