Photo: Shaun Penner / EverythingGP staff

By Liam Verster

Bait Vehicle Operation

Grande Prairie RCMP’s bait vehicle campaign results in three arrests

Jun 16, 2021 | 1:06 PM

Grande Prairie RCMP’s four-week bait vehicle operation is being considered a success after three individuals were arrested and charged.

The Grande Prairie RCMP Crime Reduction Unit ran the operation in partnership with Alberta RCMP Auto Theft Unit, and with assistance from Grande Prairie Rural and Grande Prairie General Duty officers.

Sgt. Shawn Graham with the Grande Prairie RCMP says the vehicles were set up in specific and strategic locations.

“The way we determined where we place the bait vehicle is through information supplied to us from our crime analysts. They will run all the stats and determine the best location that we’d like to put the bait vehicle out to address property crime in the area.”

Graham adds that bait vehicles are an important tool in addressing property crime. He says it not only helps reduce crime in the specific community or neighbourhood it was initially placed, but in other nearby communities as well.

“If somebody steals a car from somewhere, or a vehicle or quad or something, and goes and commits crimes somewhere else, it now has an effect on that area that they’re now in.”

Graham adds that they had a variety of bait vehicle options.

“That way we can keep people guessing, I mean especially for the criminals who are out there who are wanting to steal vehicles, they just never know if that vehicle might be a bait vehicle.”

The four-week campaign resulted in the arrests of three individuals. Allan Cloutier, a 37-year-old from Grande Prairie; Chad Mitchell, a 33-year-old from Valleyview; and Cheynee Mitchell, a 26-year-old from Grande Prairie, were all charged with theft of motor vehicle and theft under $5,000.

Cheynee Mitchell was also charged with five counts of failing to comply with conditions.

Following judicial hearings, all three individuals were released from custody. Allan Cloutier and Chad Mitchell are due in Grande Prairie Provincial Court on June 16, 2021, and Cheynee Mitchell is scheduled to appear in court on July 12, 2021.

Graham says this isn’t the first time they’ve used bait vehicles in the Grande Prairie area to address property crimes, and as those operations have all been considered successes, the RCMP plans to continue using them in the future.

READ MORE: Bait quad used to track theft suspects

“What I like about it is this is a program that addresses the concerns of the public, which property crime is something that people in all of our communities are concerned about. They don’t want their vehicles stolen, they don’t want their property stolen and things like that, so this is a crime reduction initiative to address that.”