36 - North Shore Rows — Friday, March 31, 2000

Ope

rnad

rivers must hel

Martin Millerchip

News Reporter mmillerchip@nsnews.com

ICKC reports a small drop in auto crime claims in 1999 com- pared to 1998 despite an increase in the number of stolen vehi- cles.

The corporation received just over 106,000 auto crime claims last year — 1,000 fewer than 1998,

Vandalism claims fell 3.6% last vear and theft from auto claims were down by almost 1%,

However, total auto theit claims rose by 5.8%.

The 7% increase in auto theft in the Vancouver/North Shore/ Squamish area was not as alarming as the 16% increase in the Surrey/Fraser Valley area.

Even though the volume of auto crime claims was down fast year, the cost to settle those claims rose 3% to $134.3 million.

“After two consecutive years of strong declines, the increase in auto theft claims in 1999 is a.concern,” says ICBC President Thom Thompson.

“But the good news is that the latest theft numbers are still well below the 1996 level when vehicle theft was out of control in our province.”

A recent Lock Out Auto Crime blitz of the Capilano mall parking lots revealed how easy some drivers make it for potential thieves.

OF 800 vehicles checked: B 22 cars had keys of garage door openers left inside;

NEWS photo Mike Wakefield

CRAIG Willmott (right) and Guita Yazdani were busy handing out information “tick- ets” dunsg a Lock Out Auto Crime sweep of Capilano mail parking lots last week.

@ = fou: left unlocked; B four cars had open win- dows; M@ 195 cars (almost 25%) had possessions or cash in plain view; and @ one car had an expired insurance decal.

On a more positive note: @ 123 cars had steering wheel locks — although 19 of them were not in use; @ 108 cars had alarms.

The vehicle audits were conducted between March 19 and 22 by Lower

cars) Were

auto, 4dr, a/c, bal. of fattory warranty

2dr, Sspd, fully equipped

fully equipped, looks 2nd runs like new

ae 62Km, very clean =

Lonsdale Community Policing volunteers Craig Willmott, Guita Yazdani and Mike Pilon.

RCMP bicycle patrol offi- cers also made several sweeps of the area.

Willmort says the main objective of the project was to educate the public about auto crime.

“Theft irom vehicles could be eliminated very quickly if people simply stopped keeping valuables in their car: ,” said Willmott.

“Even if our own personal

94 CHEV S10

4cyl, 5 spd, onty

ear is not broken into, we are all victims of auto crime. This crime may result in highes insurance premiums and it also requires police attention that could be utilized for other probleras in our soci- er.”

Thompson agrees auto crime is not a victimless crime.

“People suffer when someone steals or vandalizes a vehicle. That’s why harden- ing the target is so important. The rise ia theft claims shows us all British Columbians

94 CHEV SUBURBAN SLE

8 pass, fully 4d. loaded, privacy iain ES

glass, exc. cond

2dr, 4whil ds, fully loaded, local vehicte, fow km

94 TOVOTA CAMRY VG LE loaded including ¢ -.

moenrocl,

Spoiler & more,

mint, reduced

| 517,995 0

95 VW GOLF CABRIOLET

Sspeed.iocal, mint, convertible. |

ICBC AUTO CRIME CLAINS

Province-wide Totals TYPE OF CLAIM 1888 1639 CHANGE Theft of Auto 17,767 18,793 58%"

BN Vandalism 46,231 44,678 3.6%*. Theft from Auto 42,997 42,592 3.6%&

BiGGC THEFT GF AUTO GLAS

gy Regional Breakdown

my REGION 1988 1999 CHANGE

: g Greater Vancouver West 4 fone: 5,291 7.0%"

WR (City of Vancouver, North Shore, Sq

b> Greater Vancouver East 4g77. . 4310. 1.0%"

Be (Richmond, Burnaby. New Westminster, Tri-Cities, Maple Ridge}

a Fraser Valle | 4947 5,717. 16.0%"

: (Surrey, Langely, Abboistord, Chilfiwacig

4 Vancouver island - 97 1,086 10.08"

= Sounthern Interior 1,388." 1,297 6 ee Northern interior ; ae 90%,

NEWS graphic Norisa Anderson

must continue their efforts to lock out auto crime.”

ICBC is helping = te combat auto crime by sup- porting local prevention projects with Its Com- munity Auto Crime Prevention Grant.

Last year, the corpora- tion funded 30 local pro-

crime prevention training workshops.

Up to $1 mil- lion in ICBC auto — crime prevention grants will be awarded = in 2000.

Grants will go to crime pre- vention groups and societies, community groups, vol- unteer agen- cies or local

“After two con- secutive years of strong declines, the increase in auto theft claims in 1999 is a

concern”

— ICBC president Them Thompson

jects throughout the province including bike patrols in shopping mall parking lots, warning signs, park patrols, youth activity programs and

business groups that have made a commitment to do something positive about the auto crime problem in their communities.

WWW.nsnews.com

| Levett Auto Body i is $ your. complete collision repair-tacility.

We repair. all makes.of.foreign and domestic cars &. trucks.

. © Glass replacement.. ® Down draft paint spray system for: factory finish e UnibodyArame alignment specialists e Replacement vehicles avallabie

summer ready

$18,995

97 FORD EXPLORER ML XL 4 4wd, fully A Mew 7 a

local, 1 owner, tow km, tike new

4dr, sport, ony EES 56Km, super clean, 5 speed

ALL WORK GUARANTEED For AS tons as You own THE VEHICLE

loaded, privacy glass, won't last

183 Pemberton Ave.

935-7195

Government licensed inspection station ‘ . ARA certified body shop