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Bait car

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For other uses of term, see Bait

A bait car is a generic term used for a vehicle that has been rigged by a law enforcement agency with the intent of capturing car thieves. Special features include GPS tracking, hidden cameras that record audio/video, time, and date, and the ability to remotely monitor a variety of vehicle sensors and control a vehicle by disabling the engine and locking the doors. The practice does not violate entrapment laws, since suspects are not persuaded to steal the vehicle by any means other than its availability and their own motivation.

The bait car is a phenomenon in the study of criminal behavior since it offers a rare glimpse into the actions and reactions of suspects before, during and after the crime. Unlike other crimes caught on surveillance cameras, suspects, at least initially, believe and react as if the crime has been wholly successful, until the bait car is apprehended by law enforcement personnel.

The largest bait car fleet in North America is operated by the Integrated Municipal Provincal Auto Crime Team (IMPACT), based in Surrey, British Columbia. Surrey was designated the "car theft capital of North America" by the RCMP in 2002[1]. Their program was launched in 2004, and has contributed to a 10% drop in auto thefts since then[2].

The use of bait cars to trap car thieves is analogous to the concept of a honeypot being used to trap computer hackers.

See also

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