Car thieves fitted with GPS tracking devices

Twenty Manitoba car thieves will be fitted with GPS tracking devices in the fall as part of a one-year pilot project to fight auto theft, according to the CBC.

“Under the program, the highest-risk repeat offenders will wear location-monitoring devices such as ankle bracelets,” the CBC reported on its Web site.

Citing Manitoba Justice Minister Dave Chomiak, the CBC reported Manitoba would partner with Nova Scotia to track car thieves using the technology. “Nova Scotia has considerable experience using GPS monitoring devices to track offenders and will help train Manitoba officials,” the CBC reported.

The Cdn$336,000 project will begin in the fall, following consultation with other justice system participants.

Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) estimates a car is stolen every hour, on average, in the province.

Statistics Canada data suggests Manitoba has the highest auto-theft rate in the country. According to StatsCan, 1,712 motor vehicle thefts per 100,000 population in Winnipeg were reported in 2005 (the last year for which there are statistics). In Toronto, by contrast, there were 306 thefts reported per 100,000 population.