In every bait car, there is a hidden camera. Some of the footage captured is disturbing, some terrifying, but are all worth viewing.
In municipalities across North America, bait car programs have proven to be successful deterrents in combating vehicular theft. The largest bait car program, Integrated Municipal Provincial Auto Crime Team (IMPACT), operates out of the car-theft capital of North America, Surrey, British Columbia, Canada.
Since its inception two years ago, IMPACT has seen a dramatic decrease in car-theft throughout the province of British Columbia and similar programs in the United States and the rest of Canada have realized similar positive results.
For those of you who are not familiar with the term, "bait car," Wikipedia .org defines a bait car as "a generic term used for a vehicle that has been rigged by a law enforcement agency with the intent of capturing car thieves. Special features include bullet-proof glass; automatic door locks; video cameras that record audio, time, and date; and the ability to disable the engine remotely. The practice does not violate entrapment laws, since the suspect is not persuaded to steal the vehicle by any means other than their own motivation. The bait car is a phenomenon in the study of criminal behavior since it offers a rare glimpse into the actions and reactions of a suspect before, during and after the crime. Unlike other crimes caught on surveillance cameras, suspects at least initially believe and react as if the crime has been successful, until the bait car is retrieved.
Stolen cars often equate stolen lives, yet many people regard car theft as a victimless crime. It's not. The driving public, especially new drivers and in particular young drivers need to know the impact of car-theft on human lives. By releasing the frightening videos of car thieves racing though crowded streets and speeding through intersections at high speeds without regard for human life, drivers become more aware of the importance of looking in every direction before advancing through a green light or a stop sign.
As disturbing as these videos are, and I warn you, some are shocking, I think it makes good sense to air them. Most of us will never witness a drug-induced psychosis in real life, and therefore will not appreciate what it means when a headline reads: Car Thief High On Crack T-bones Car." The bait car videos make this all to clear, and once viewed, it is impossible to drive without enhanced situational awareness.
Watch the videos with your teen drivers. Talk to them about what you've seen. It just might save their lives.
IMPACT has been so successful (10% reduction in car theft in the first year), they've launched several new programs; bait motorcycle, bait ATV, bait snowmobile and bait personal watercraft program.
For more information on bait cars, to see the video footage and how to protect yourself from car thieves, visit BAITCAR.COM
