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May 11, 2007 10:48 pm US/Central
Bait Car Helps DPD Nab 2 Suspected Thieves
by J.D. Miles
DALLAS (CBS 11 News) ―
Two alleged Dallas car thieves are now under arrest after a police bait car trapped them inside.
In video released after the arrest, one of the suspects is seen getting inside the unlocked vehicle, which was parked on Gayglen Drive in southeast Dallas on Friday morning. The suspect then drove and picked up the second suspect, who then took the wheel while the original suspect played with the radio.
The car was equipped with cameras and a tracking device, and could be controlled remotely by police. When the two suspects took the vehicle to a car wash, police remotely locked the doors before they could exit.
The 17-year-old and 19-year-old suspects were arrested for theft, but have not been formally charged. Sgt. Michael Coleman with the Dallas Police Department explained, "Both individuals drove, so both individuals were arrested." These arrests are the 169th and 170th since the Dallas Police Department started using bait cars two years ago.
The program has even expanded to Dallas suburbs like Richardson.
Auto thefts are up eight percent in Dallas when compared to last year. Police are convinced that the numbers would be higher if not for the bait car program, which they say gets car thieves off the streets.
"It's definitely one of the most successful programs we've got in the country," Coleman said, "and with us being partnered with other police departments, it's definitely helped in terms of us being able to reach outside our city limits."
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