The number of vehicles stolen in Manitoba dropped for the first time in five years in 2002, according to statistics released today by Manitoba Public Insurance.

Vigilance by Manitobans, law enforcement measures, greater co-ordination and tough new legislation are being credited for an 8.6 per cent reduction in auto theft claims province-wide. This translates into 736 fewer vehicles being stolen in Manitoba last year.

Manitoba Public Insurance also reported that overall, there were 7,827 theft claims filed in 2002 including 6,190 in Winnipeg. The improvement represents the first drop since 1998 and marks the first year of operation of a province-wide Auto Theft Task Force created by Attorney General Gord Mackintosh.

The task force – a proactive partnership between government, law enforcement agencies, community groups and Manitoba Public Insurance – adopted a strategy to educate the public, streamline information sharing and toughen up the enforcement and prosecution of auto thieves.

“Through strong partnerships and the co-operative efforts of everyone, we’ve shown that auto theft can be reduced,” task force chairman and University of Manitoba criminology professor Rick Linden said. “We’ve said from the start that addressing Manitoba’s auto theft problem required a concentrated, multi-disciplinary effort over time.

“We have invested considerable time in engaging all the partners and putting into place actions that we believe will yield longer-term, sustainable benefits.”

Mackintosh said the task force has reported progress in all five areas of its mandate. Calling the reduction a good first step, the minister said he was pleased to see the gains made in Winnipeg, where thefts dropped 12.3 per cent or 859 vehicles.

“The goal of the task force was to focus and co-ordinate provincial efforts and to expand the fight against auto theft to every Manitoban,” Mackintosh said. “The government has responded by passing tough new legislation, expanding youth programs and increasing resources to ensure auto theft is treated as a serious crime.

“I’m pleased with the results that have been achieved to date and I am encouraged by the community groups that have embraced the fight to reduce crime in their neighbourhoods.”

Direct mailings, parking lot signage and public awareness programs have made auto theft one of the most recognized safety concerns in Manitoba. Local law enforcement agencies complemented these actions by partnering with community groups to establish task forces to meet local needs.

The Winnipeg Police Service Stolen Auto Unit has also successfully streamlined its procedures targeting auto thieves. As a result, the number of theft-related arrests increased by 23 per cent to 177 (45 adults and 132 youth) arrests and the number of charges laid went up by 37 per cent to 897.

“We are focusing more on repeat offenders and making sure they’re abiding by court-imposed curfews,” said Sgt. Randy Harris of the Stolen Auto Unit. “It’s important to make our streets safer and raise public awareness of this crime.”

Reducing auto theft is also important in keeping a lid on the cost of auto insurance, Manitoba Public Insurance Vice President of Public Affairs John Douglas said. In 2001, auto theft cost Manitoba premium payers about $24-million.

“Our goal is to get Manitobans to join the fight against auto theft by taking action to protect themselves,” Douglas said. “Today, we have more community groups joining in the fight and more Manitobans taking steps to protect their property than ever before.”

More than 85 communities throughout Manitoba are currently co-ordinating neighbourhood safety programs, primarily through Citizens on Patrol and related programs.

Winnipeg’s computer-based CAPTAIN program has also proven to be a highly successful tool in the battle against auto theft. Since the community-notification program expanded last May to include auto theft, more than 100,000 auto theft notifications have been distributed to Citizens on Patrol and Neighbourhood Watch block captains and their membership.

Public awareness has also been heightened thanks to several theft prevention campaigns initiated by Manitoba Public Insurance, said Douglas. He noted that nearly 40,000 Manitobans have registered for the Combat Auto Theft (CAT) program which is administered by the public insurer and police agencies throughout the province.

In addition, nearly 50,000 Manitobans now receive a break on their annual insurance premiums because they have purchased vehicles equipped with an anti-theft device that meets the national standard or have had an approved aftermarket device installed in their vehicles.

Backgrounder -- Manitoba’s five-point auto theft strategy

Implemented:
Changes to the Highway Traffic Act to increase driver’s licence suspensions for convicted auto thieves.

Action:

• First convictions result in a five-year suspension.
• Second and third convictions result in 10-year and lifetime suspensions, respectively.
• First time convicted offenders under age 16 will have to wait until they are 21 to test for their driver’s licence.

Implemented:
Increased use of anti-theft devices in Manitoba.

Action:

• 50,000 vehicles in Manitoba are now protected with anti-theft devices that meet the national standard.
• 40,000 Manitobans have registered in the Combat Auto Theft (CAT) program that invites police to stop vehicles between 1 and 5 a.m. to verify vehicle ownership.
• 53 per cent of Manitobans now claim they protect their vehicles with a steering wheel locking device – an increase of 20 per cent in the last year and 30 per cent increase over 1997 levels.

Implemented:
The creation of an auto theft prosecutions team, dedicated to cases involving adults and youths charged with auto theft offences.

Action:

• Two full time Crown attorneys have been hired and dedicated to prosecuting auto theft-related charges.
• Last year in Winnipeg, 177 people were arrested and charged with 897 offences. That’s an increase from 148 arrests and 656 charges laid in 2001

Implemented:
Expansion of an automated community notification system -- Computer Automated Phone Tracking and Information Network (CAPTAIN) to include auto theft.

Action:

• 100,000 auto theft notifications have been distributed to block and patrol captains and their membership since May 2001.
• Expansion of the Citizen On Patrol Program. There are currently 85 established COPP community safety groups with 31 others currently being established.

Implemented:
Enhancement of Manitoba Public Insurance’s existing theft deterrence measures.

Action:

• Reduction of deductibles for vehicle owners who demonstrate that an anti-theft device was defeated in the course of a theft.
• 1,500 auto theft warning signs distributed throughout parking lots in Manitoba.
• 280,000 auto theft brochures mailed to all Winnipeg households.
• 70,000 auto theft brochures mailed to people who owned a vehicle which was in the Top 10 stolen category
• Insurance discounts to 50,000 Manitoba vehicle owners who have immobilizer systems that meet the national standard.
• Manitoba Public Insurance’s High School Driver Education Program incorporates an auto theft awareness component.

Contact:
Brian Smiley/Twila Allen
Media Relations
Manitoba Public Insurance
(204) 985-7678/7300 or 1-888-554-9549 (toll-free in Manitoba)