‘Bait’-mobile designed to foil car thieves

Ottawa – The Ottawa Police Service, along with City, OC Transpo and community partners, today unveiled its new Bait Car. Specially equipped vehicles will be parked at Place d’Orléans Park & Ride and St. Laurent Centre as part of a pilot program designed to foil car thieves. 

The Bait Car is parked in areas where numerous auto thefts have occurred, and signs are erected to inform the public and warn potential thieves that such a vehicle is in place. Equipped with a global positioning system (GPS), the Bait Car allows police to remotely track its movement and alert area patrol officers of a theft. Once the Bait Car is in a safe position, police can disable the ignition from a distance and move in for an arrest, avoiding the possibility of a police chase. In Hamilton, a recent Bait Car pilot project reduced the number of thefts by 73 per cent at a test location.  

“The program forces thieves to think twice about stealing a car as it may be one of the Bait Cars. If a theft does occur, the technology inside a Bait Car enables us to track and capture thieves with minimal risk to officers and the community,” said Ottawa Police Chief Vince Bevan.  “In other cities, the Bait Car has been very effective in reducing auto thefts. We are hopeful the program will yield similar results here in Ottawa.”  

The Bait Car pilot project was launched this morning at the Place d’Orléans Park & Ride. Councillor Herb Kreling, Chair of the Police Services Board and Councillor Madeleine Meilleur, Chair of the Transportation and Transit Committee joined Chief Bevan for a demonstration of the crime-deterring vehicle.  

“Confidence in the safety of every aspect of transit service is a high priority,” said Councillor Meilleur. “The Bait Car is a welcome addition to our Park & Ride lots, and will provide a better, smarter way of preventing crime.” 

After the two-month pilot project is evaluated, the program may be expanded to cover other areas of the city. 
     

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