One man was arrested and charges are pending as police finish their investigation into the theft of property from a Bait car parked in the downtown core early Tuesday morning.
On July 7, 2015 at around 3:45 a.m. General Duty officers responded to an alarm set off from a bait car parked in the neighborhood of Corbould Street and Kipp Avenue. Although no one was at the vehicle when officers arrived on scene, a suspicious male was identified in the vicinity by an alert patrolman.
“Police bait cars, including some with bait property like electronic devices, are parked around town in areas identified as high risk for auto crime. Opening any bait car door triggers a surveillance camera and alerts our communications center of a potential thief,” says Cpl. Brock Rayworth of the RCMP Crime Reduction Unit.
Investigators quickly linked the suspicious male with images obtained from the Bait vehicle camera and at approximately 10:30 a.m. the same morning took a 22 year old Chilliwack man into custody. The male was later released pending a future court date.
In a report to be submitted to Crown Counsel later this month police will be recommending charges of Theft Under $5,000 against the 22 year old suspect.
“The reduction and prevention of Auto Crime and keeping our community safe remains a high priority for Chilliwack RCMP. This is one example of how our officers constantly strive to meet that challenge”, said Inspector Davy Lee Officer in Command of Chilliwack Community Policing Office.
“The RCMP Crime Reduction Unit has access to pickup trucks, cars, water craft, off road vehicles, and trailers from one of the largest Bait Car fleets in the Lower Mainland. We blend the Bait Cars into the community, constantly replacing our vehicles, the bait property, and changing their locations”, said Cpl. Brock Rayworth.
“The Bait car program is coordinated by the Integrated Municipal Provincial Auto Crime Team and is an effective tool in combating auto crime in our region. Thieves beware”, says Cpl. Mike Rail “Bait cars are everywhere and you will be caught”.
Here are some helpful tips to avoid being a victim of auto crime.
• Close windows and lock doors and take your possessions with you.
• Avoid parking behind fences or hedges.
• After opening an automatic gate to underground parking, watch for thieves waiting to slip inside. Wait for the gate to close behind you.
For more information about the Bait car program and how to protect yourself from auto crime we invite you to visit the Integrated Municipal Provincial Auto Crime website at www.baitcar.com .
As always police remind everyone who witnesses anything they believe to be suspicious in nature to contact the Chilliwack RCMP at 604-792-4611 or, should you wish to remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).
