August 14, 1991

By Surj Rattan
News Reporter

The theft trend shows no sign
of letting ap.

Concert by the Sea

and July 27 a total of SS vehicles
were stolen.

“North Vancouver is auto theft
heaven," said North Vancouver
ROM EF Const. Marty Blais.

Blais said that most of the
thefts involve late model Jupanyse
ears. They are stolen by people
who take the vehicles for ‘joy
rides"? aad then abandon them in
Vancouver. “There's a lot of joy
riding around here. Joy riding is
the crime of the decade for North
Vancouver,” said Blais.

Police warn that a

car alarm

ORs vanitcteh ncor
Cie aes RSS

THE VANCOUVEP Symphony Orchestra performed at Cates Park on Sunday evening as the
grand finale to the District of North Vancouver's weekend centennial festivities. The event
was well attended and the district hosted a reception afterwards.

55 vehicles reported stolen in
July; joy rides a major problem

CAR THIEVES are driving
North Vancouver
ground the bend.
and July
year alone, 643 automobiles
reporied

North Vancouver.

will not stop someone wha is
determined to steal aocar. ‘Car
alarms are fine, but they only tell
you that your car has been broken
into,’ he said.

Blais added that one of the best
anti-theft devices on the market is
a product called “The Club.** The
device prevents a thtef from) curn-
ing the steering wheel of a@ car.

“Hes a vicious circle because
every me someone inakes a claim
for a stolen car, everyone’s in-
surance rate goes up. FOBC (In-
surance Corp

of B.C.) is going

crazy," satd Blais.

Meanwhile West) Vancouver

Police Sgt. Chris Holmes said: car

thefts are on the decrease in West

Vancouver. He added thar as of
June, there has been a 10%
dectgase tnothe theft of mater

vehicles over last year.

Bur JOBC spokesinan Ken Hiar-
die confirms that motor vehicle
thefts are generally on the rise. He
added that) North Vancouver ts
hot the only municipality es.
periencing the increase: the prob-
len is provincee-wide.

Hardie said that IOBO closed
6,670 theft-of-autoa chins pro-
vince: wide it the first six months
of 199} for a total cast of SIs
million, The tabois picked up by
B.C. drivers. For the sume period
in 1990, ICBC closed 4.841 claims
fora total cost of $12.4 million,

Carolyn Lair and the
North Shore arts scene

Now spotlight:

23

MEWS photo Nell Lucente

“Theft of autos and theft from
autas are on Che increase, (here's
no doubt about that. Thes are up
over last vear,"* said Hardie.

He added that while there are
several anti-theft) devices on the
market, cuc alarms are not neces:
sarily the best: products to stop it
car thief.

“Pawas recently down in one of
our yids and sawoa Camero with
aocarakarm in it that diatd been
picked cleaner than last Easter’s
turkey. said Hardie. “hCSs almost
like warfare. Everytime a new
product comes on the market, the
thief usually finds a wav to defeat
it. he saad,

He added that FOBC is current-
Iv compiling a ist of products
drivers can bey to thwart) car

See Owners pare 3