With winter fast approaching, temperatures dropping, and snow falling across much of British Columbia the BC RCMP wants to remind potential snowmobile thieves that they may be taking more than they bargained for and they may just be stealing a Bait Sled.
A statement from Sgt. Dave Dubnyk of the Sicamous RCP detachment and Cpl. Thomas Blakney of the Revelstoke detachment said the sleds, another tool in the Bait Vehicle Fleet, will be deployed by police across the province to help combat thefts that can significantly impact the rightful owner of the vehicle.
“Unfortunately when people from across British Columbia, and visiting tourists, head to the hills to enjoy snowmobiling there are opportunistic people looking to profit or simply steal other peoples sleds,” Dubnyk said. “We are working with the Integrated Municipal Auto Crime Team (IMPACT) to deploy bait sleds in our communities to help stop these individuals.”
“One key to BaitCar’s enduring, strategic success is putting the right types of vehicles in the right place at the right time,” said Attorney General and Minister of Justice Suzanne Anton. “That includes seasonal deployment of recreational machines, like snowmobiles in winter, that are popular with both their riders and thieves. The message we’re reinforcing now is that bait vehicles come in all shapes and sizes – but the end result is the same: steal one and you go to jail.”
Similar to other Bait vehicles, if a sled is stolen police are able to remotely track it in order to recover the snowmobile and arrest those responsible for its theft.
“The Bait Sled is a significant tool at our disposal to combat thefts. As soon as one is taken police will be watching where it is going and will go after those that have it,” Dubnyk said.
“Thefts though, including those of snowmobiles, are crimes of opportunity. Owners of sleds can use basic theft prevention techniques to protect their property and make their sled less attractive to thieves.”
These techniques include:
- Park your vehicles in well-lit areas with good visibility and lots of pedestrian traffic.
- Mark your sleds with an identification number.
- Invest in anti-theft devices for both your tow vehicle and snowmobile.
- Record all identifying information on your equipment including sleds, trucks and trailers and keep it separate from your machines.
- Securely lock all of your equipment.
“If you know of somebody that has stolen a snowmobile, or is in possession of a stolen snowmobile, we would encourage you to call either your local police or Crime Stoppers. These are not victimless crimes, and when somebody has their property stolen it directly impacts their lives and sense of security,” Dubnyk said.
