Manitoba car thieves to be 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, the CBC reported on its Web site.
Under the program, the highest-risk repeat offenders will wear location-monitoring devices such as ankle bracelets, the CBC reported.
The CBC cited Manitoba Justice Minister Dave Chomiak as saying his province 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 estimates a car is stolen every hour, on average, in the province, the CBC reported. Citing Statistics Canada data, it also wrote: Manitoba holds the dubious distinction of having the highest auto-theft rate in the country.
According to StatsCan data, in Winnipeg, 1,712 motor vehicle thefts per 100,000 population 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.