30 ~ Friday, Nov. &, 1992 - North Shore News

AUTOMOTIVE
Police launch annual
anti-theft campaign

THEFT FROM, and of, automobiles on the North Shore
has accounted for close to $3 million being paid out on
2,134 ICBC claims in the first nine months of 1992.

On Wednesday, Nov. 4, local
police and ICBC kicked off their
annual ‘‘lock-it-or-lose-it’’
week-long campaign.

During the week of Nov. 4 to
11, police will increase enforce-
ment and encourage the public to
report suspicious activities and
educate them about how to pro-

tect themselves from being a vic- .

tim of auto-related crimes.
According to Stats Canada, an

average of 42 vehictes are stolen in |

B.C... each day. Local. .police
statistics show the majority of
auto-related thefts are perpetrated
by young offenders.

Though B.C. has a 34% higher
incidence of auto theft than the
national average, this year’s
Statistics from North Vancouver
District and City show a
downward trend in both thefts
_ from vehicles and theft of vehicles
over the past two years.

In .the first nine months of
1992, 253 vehicles have been
reported stolen in North Van-
couver City. Last year 526 were
reported stolen. ;

’ The story is the same in the

- district, where 324 vehicles have
been’ stolen this year, compared —

with 477 last year.

Also, statistics for thefts both

-over:and under $1,000 from vehi-

cles have decreased in the district
and the city.

“If the rates of theft for the first
nine months of this year remain
consistent over the final three
months of the year, beth the city
‘and the district will still be under
last year’s figures.

**] wish we could take the credit
for the decrease in the numbers,”’
said North Vancouver RCMP
Const. Chris Drouin. ‘‘But the
real cause of the lower number of
incidents is action individuals have
taken.”’

Drouin pointed to the increased
use of steering-column locking
devices, window ingraving of
identification numbers on cars,
and an increased awareness by ihe
public about auto theit as the ma-
jor factors’ contributing to the
lower number of thefts.

Unfortunately for West Van-
couver vehicle owners, the theft of
automobiles and their contents has
not slowed down over last year’s
figures. ’

In the first nine months of
1992, 109 vehicles were reported
stolen in West Vancouver, already
eclipsing the 12-month total from
199} by 11.

Theft. under $1,000 from vehi-

By A.P. McCredie
Automotive Reporter

cles in the municipality in 1992
has also outpaced last year’s total.
Over 70% of ail auto theft oc-
cur between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m,
Armed with this information,
ICBC and focal police started the

_Combat Auto Theft (CAT) pro-

gram in November 1991.

‘The decal program is a simple
no-cost way to reduce the risk of
auto theft.

Once you have registered your
vehicle in the program, the police
will stop your car if it is being
overated between 1! a.m. and 5
a.m. to verify the driver's licence
and registration.

Since the prosram’s launch last
year, 25,000 vehicles have been
registered.

For more information on the
CAT decal program call your
local police department, any ICBC
facility or any BCAA office.

@ Car Specs: 1991 Honda Civic
Dx.

@ Driver Specs: Tina Gilbert-
son, proof-reader/actress, 26.

@ Memorable Moment: ‘This
huge, dusty, bat-sized moth
managed io get into my car one
night and started flapping

WHEEL
PEOPLE

around when I was driving on
the highway. Fortunately, 1 was
able to slow down and open a
window before | freaked out,

NEWS photo Mike Wakefisid

and the moth flew off into the
night.”’ .

If you have a special relationship
with your car and would like to
tell the North Shore. about it,
drop the News a line and we'll
arrange a photo.

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