ling up in the fight against aut IN the Olid West — or at least, in old Western movies — whenever the sheriff needed help, he called on the citizens of the town to form a posse. Public-spirited volunteers would be sworn in as rempo- rary deputies and sent off to help bring the bad guys to jus- tice. a th The days of the posse are long gone. But today, citizen volunteers do have a key role to play in the fight against auto theft. The Stolen Auto Recovery program (SAR) is active in 50 communities throughout B.C., including North Vancouver. It’s a joint effort of ICBC, the police, the BC Anromebilc Association, and community groups such as Crime Watch and Citizens On Patrol. To par- Ucipate in the program, you have to be a member of one of those community groups. Using their own cars, armed only with a computer and a two-way radio, SAR volunteers patrol their iocal streets and parking lots on the lookout for stoken vehicles. ICBC provides cach local group with a laptop computer loaded with the plate numbers of thousands of stolen vehicles. While patrolling, the volunteers tap the plate num- bers of parked or suspect vehi- cles into the computer. A tell- tale beep tells them they’ve found a stolen vehicle, in which case they radio the police. Since the program was cre- ated in 1994, it has recovered 1,625 stolen vehicles, including 611 last year alone. In North Vancouver, 24 volunteers participate in the SAR program and check licence plate numbers four days a week. Thanks to their efforts, two stolen vehicles have been recovered this year as of April |. Their coordinator, RCMP Sergeant Bob Beaudoin, says he would welcome more vol- unteers, Anyone who’s inter- ested can contact him at 985- 131], Why do they do it? Most volunteers say they want 10 help make their community a better place by reducing auto crime. And the fact is, B.C.’s auto theft rate is the worst in Canada, with an average of 50 cass stolen every day. The police and ICBC can use ail the citizen help they can get. But many volunteers will also admit that it’s fun to cruise the streets late at night on the lookout for auto crime. Typical is Danny Gelmon, an SAR vol- unteer in Vancouver, who is out patrolling with a partmer every Saturday night. “Some nights it’s six hours of just dri- ving around,” he says. “Other nights you might get several ‘hits’ in a few hours, and it can be pretty exciting.” He estimates he’s helped recover an average of 40 stolen vehicles a year during his six years with the program. Danny was himself a victim of crime a few years ago, so he enjoys being part of the solu- tion now, “My garage was broken into Plan to avoid sleeping at the wheel ROAD trips are a pop- ular part of the spring and summer and are a great way to enjoy 3B.C.’s spectacular scenery. But such trips can be dead- ly when drivers aren’: pre- pared to travel long distances. - Extreme fatigue and falling asleep at the wheel are among the ‘op five human condition contributing factors in motor GET ON THE ROAD TO recovery vehicle collisions, Between 1995 and 1997, police in B.C. reported morc than 1,400 injury collisions which were, in part, caused by the driver ling asleep. Extreme fatigue was a factor in more than 600 injury crashes. Sleepiness slows reac- tion ume, decreases awareness and impairs judgment. To ttelp ail drivers teach their destinations dur- ing their summer trips, ICBC and the BCAA reminds B.Cs Regist motorists to slow down and stay alert: Start any trip by getting enough sleep the night before. Plan to travel during times of the day when you are normally awake. On long road trips schedule rest breaks at least every two hours. Stay overnight somewhere and get some sleep instead of traveling through the night. Avoid travel between mid- night and 6 a.m. where the darkness and late night fatigue rapists are experts in prevention, hands-on treatments and injury rehabilitation. With over three years of training, Registered Massage Therapists provide effective manual therapy and exercises/stretches that give you a more healthy and active lifestyle. Massage therapy. You can depend on it. Contact the following massage clinics in West Vancouver for an appointment. Bens arcla McDougal, RMT. - “9503-100: Park Reyal South -. - ) Physiotherapy ‘and Massage Clinic’. ~ 1 &:2:~ 636. Clyde Ave... can cause the driver to fall asleep. jake sure both pcople in the front of the car are awake. A driver who needs rest should go to the back seat, buckle up and slcep. a couple of times,” he explains. “I wanted to do something about it. Getting involved in this program seemed the best way. “By getting out there and involving yourself, you icel like yewre making a real differ- ence,” he adds. The police appreciate the help; they know that having more cyes and cars out on the streets provides a deterrent against crime. And ICBC Auto Crimes Strategies manager Dan ooo OF WE CAR. § Otto & Associates Insurance Agency Ltc. 9 2440 Marine Drive, W.Van. 922-8532 Dudgeon believes the program is making a difference. “The faster that stolen autos are recovered, the less likely they are to have suffered severe damage,” says Dudgeon, who points out that the vast majori- ty of thefts are by “joy riders,” who often cash the vehicle when they abandon it. Last year ICBC recorded 12% fewer auto theft claims compared to 1997 -— a welcome trend in a costly bardle. @ £