Automobile theft has decreased in the Lower Mainland overall as a result of a crack down on car thieves, but there is still a long way to go, officials said on Tuesday.
In the Lower Mainland, auto theft has decreased by 12 per cent and in the entire province by nine per cent.
It's the most significant reduction in Canada in the past year, police said.
"We're really proud in British Columbia to be the number one reduction in Canada but we still have a lot of work to do," said Sgt. Gord Elias of the Vancouver Police Department (VPD). "We are still the third worst province -- we've gone from second to the third worst province."
Surrey remains the so-called 'car theft capital' of B.C., with approximately 2,900 vehicles stolen in 2007 -- eight each day of the year.
Police released a Top 10 Most Wanted Car Thieves list, saying its goal is to capture all ten during April's Auto Crime Enforcement campaign.
"If we can articulate to a judge that this person is a menace on society, continually stealing cars, getting out of jail and stealing them again, we are making headway with the courts when we're able to show that," said Elias.
"So it is getting a little bit better," he said.
The Integrated Municipal Provincial Auto Crime Team (IMPACT) was formed by various police forces from around the province in an effort to reduce rampant car theft.
The team says it has reduced overall auto theft by 38 per cent in the past five years.
IMPACT started the highly successful Bait Car program, as well as an educational video called 'Stolen Lives' to target high school students, and uses Automatic Licence Plate Recognition technology (ALPR) to search for stolen vehicles.
ICBC Road Safety Director Nicolas Jimenez advised vehicle owners and drivers to have a prevention checklist.
"Think through your checklist," she said. "Have I put on my club? Have I locked my doors? Have I closed my windows? Have I left nothing visible to take? Have I parked in a safe well lit area," she said.
Top ten items stolen from vehicles:
1. Stereo equipment: CD players, amps, speakers, subwoofers
2. CDs
3. Laptop computers
4. Coins: parking change
5. Registration papers
6. Garage door openers
7. Cell phones, DVD players and iPods
8. Work tools
9. Tires and wheels
10. Air bags
Top ten ways to protect your vehicle:
1. Install an immobilizer
2. If you don't have an immobilizer, use a steering lock every time you park your vehicle
3. Always close your windows and lock your doors
4. Take your possessions with you: don't leave anything in your car
5. Keep your spare keys in your wallet, not in your car
6. Avoid parking behind fences or hedges
7. At home, use a motion sensor light for your driveway. Elsewhere, park in well-lit areas near pedestrian traffic
8. After opening an automatic gate to underground parking, watch out for thieves waiting to slip inside. Wait for the gate to close behind you.
9. Engrave your stereo and other on-board valuables with your driver's licence number
10. When fueling your vehicle, ensure that you have your vehicle's key with you at all times and lock your vehicle when you go in to pay
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Dag Sharman
