Police vow to have every one of the province’s Top 10 car thieves behind bars by the month’s end.
The names and mug shots of the seven men and three women, eight of whom hail from the Lower Mainland, were revealed yesterday to coincide with the start of auto crime enforcement month.
Sgt. Gord Elias with the Integrated Municipal Provincial Auto Crime Team, said only one Top 10 thief has ever eluded police.
According to ICBC, auto theft in the Lower Mainland dropped 45 per cent between 2003 and 2007 and 38 per cent province-wide, numbers Elias credits to the effectiveness of the annual list.
“We still have a lot of work to do,” Elias said. “We’re still the third worst province.”
Nicolas Jiminez, ICBC director of road safety, said anti-theft devices like immobilizers, and the Bait Car program, have contributed to the drop in auto crime.
“(It’s) still unacceptably high,” he said. “Keep in mind that thieves always take the path of least resistance.”
