EXPLORING AUTO THEFT IN BRITISH COLUMBIA

Motor vehicle theft is a major property crime problem tn Canada; however, studies of auto theft In Canada are limited. This paper reports on the results of the most recent Canadian study. The British Columbia Association of Chiefs of Police, In conjunction with personnel at the Insurance Company of British Columbia and the School of Criminology at Simon Fraser University, explored the site-specific and sttuatlonal characteristics of auto theft In British Columbia in order to Inform potential auto theft reduction strategies. The study found that young offenders who target older, Japanese-manufactured vehicles with theft-vulnerable door and ignition locks are responsible for a disproportionate amount of the auto theft problem tn British Columbia. There was little evidence to suggest that auto stealing is carried out by organized, profit-motivated adult offenders. However, willful damage to stolen vehicles by thrill-seeking youths Is widespread and costly, and it contradicts the innocuous connotation of the term "Joyrldlng." Findings suggest that automobile owners should protect their cars differently: Owners of older, Japanese-manufactured vehicles may be well advised to employ widely available, Inexpensive after market antt-theft devices such as steering wheel locks to deter opportunistic youth, while the owners of vehicles whose parts are highly sought after for resale will need to layer anti-theft technologies and be diligent guardians to better protect their vehicles against theft. The information learned In this study is forming the basts of a number of auto theft reduction Initiatives being undertaken jointly by police and Insurance personnel in British Columbia. Address for correspondence: Zachery T. Fleming, Planning & Research Section, Vancouver Police Department, 312 Main Street, Vancouver, B.C. V6A 2T2 Canada