It didn't take long for B.C.'s new live bait car program to catch its first thief.
The RCMP say a 50-year-old man was arrested Thursday morning in Kamloops after breaking into a bait car equipped with a camera that gave dispatchers live video and audio of what was happening.
Mounties say a dispatcher was able to give a detailed description of the suspect to officers, who caught the man a few blocks from the scene.
Solicitor General John van Dongen introduced the Bait Car Live program just over a week ago, and said the ability to provide real-time images and sound would improve safety for both police and the general public.
With the old bait car program, the video could not be recovered until after the vehicle had been stopped and the suspect arrested, but Van Dongen says the live technology will allow police to see inside the car as a theft is in progress, offering vital details about whether the thief has a weapon or if more than one person is involved.
Using the old bait car system, vehicle thefts have dropped by 47 per cent since 2003, from 25,500 to 13,400.
