Having your car stolen or broken into in Burnaby has decreased markedly in the last decade.
According to statistics released by ICBC last week, in Burnaby, there were 84 per cent fewer vehicle thefts and 52 per cent fewer break-ins in 2012 compared to 2003, when the provincial bait car program was introduced.
But the trend isn't all positive, as 2012 was also the year when Burnaby saw a 21 per cent increase in automobile break-ins, as compared to the previous year.
That's a trend authorities are hoping to stop, as the provincial government, the integrated municipal provincial auto crime team and ICBC launched this year's Auto Crime Enforcement Month.
The raw numbers from Burnaby show that Burnaby auto thefts topped out at 2,280 in 2003 and have fallen every year since, with only 410 auto thefts in 2011 and 350 in 2012. Overall, that's an 84 per cent drop in 10 years and a 13 per cent decrease from 2011 to 2012.
Theft from auto statistics have not shown that same steady decline, starting at 3,770 in 2003, rising to a high-water mark of 4,130 in 2004 before falling back to 3,180 in 2005. The numbers fell to 2,300 by 2008 before rising back to 2,620 in 2009. The numbers started falling again, reaching a low-water mark of 1,480 in 2011 before rising back to 1,790 in 2012.
Overall, Burnaby's theft from auto numbers have dropped 52 per cent in the last decade, but rose 21 per cent from 2011 to 2012.
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