Shining a spotlight on young car thieves

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 11/08/2009 (6228 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

WINNIPEG – A judge has cleared the way for Winnipeg car thieves to be used as test subjects in a unique national research project aimed at curbing their criminal lifestyles.

Federal justice officials have set their sights on the city, which has earned the unfortunate label of "auto theft capital of Canada" in recent years. The Free Press has obtained court documents outlining their year-long plan to put the issue under a microscope.

There is one basic question to be answered — does treatment and programming actually help rehabilitate chronic offenders or is it simply a waste of resources?

Youth offenders will be the primary target. The National Crime Prevention Centre (NCPC) filed a motion in Manitoba provincial court last week seeking access to criminal and court records involving dozens of local teens. The request under the Youth Criminal Justice Act was granted, with several conditions limiting the use of the sensitive information.

Leslie Buckle, a senior analyst with the NCPC based in Calgary, filed an affidavit explaining her agency’s intentions. They have retained a Winnipeg research firm, PRA Inc., to do most of the legwork.

"The NCPC’s mission is to provide national leadership on effective and cost-efficient ways to both prevent and reduce crime by addressing known risk factors in high-risk populations and places," Buckle wrote.

She said Winnipeg was the logical choice because it has had "the highest incidence of auto theft among all Canadian cities."

However, she noted that may soon change. The number of stolen vehicles had dropped dramatically in the past several months, thanks largely to a Manitoba Justice program that was launched four years ago. The Winnipeg Auto Theft Suppression Strategy (WATSS) involves keeping close tabs on nearly 150 high-risk teens through various agencies, including police, probation officials and the courts.

Many offenders have also received programming through the Empowering Justice Project, which was launched in 2007 and involves the co-operation of several organizations. Manitoba Public Insurance also cites the increased use of immobilizers for cutting the auto-theft rate.

"The purpose is to get at the root cause of auto theft, such that young offenders, once their sentences expire, do not return to their behaviour. Thus, the pool of potential auto thieves is reduced over time," Buckle said of the treatment options.

The national study in Winnipeg will involve collecting extensive data on some of the city’s worst offenders and separating them into two categories: those who have taken advantage of various treatment options and those who have not.

"The plan… is primarily designed to examine the extent to which (treatment) has reduced or prevented auto-theft offences in Winnipeg," Natalie Baydack, a partner with PRA Inc., wrote in her affidavit.

"On a secondary level, the evaluation is designed to determine whether… auto theft initiatives move youth from auto theft to other types of criminal activity, on whether they reduce criminal activity altogether."

The project is set to be complete by June 2010. The findings will be used to plot crime-fighting initiatives.

Criminal records involving young people are protected by law, but the YCJA does allow for exceptions if it can be proven there is a valid public interest in the form of research. The NCPC and its designate, PRA Inc., have promised to handle the information with care. Only specified members of the research team will have access and no names or details will be used in any reports.

A master list of names and pseudonyms will be kept in a separate, secure location and will be destroyed when the study is done.

The researchers will be allowed access to specific information including number of arrests, number of breaches of probation, sentencing decisions, offender profiles that have been completed behind bars and any court-ordered risk assessments.

They will also attempt to interview many of the worst car thieves.

Confidentiality is assured unless disclosure is made about child abuse or plans to harm themselves or others.

www.mikeoncrime.com

Menu of programs

These organizations offer programs to teenaged car thieves. Their work is scrutinized as part of the National Crime Prevention Centre project.

Winnipeg School Division CHOICES program — Offers a variety of programs including working with at-risk youth at inner-city schools, having class discussions about gangs and substance abuse.

Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Winnipeg — Connects high-risk youth with positive mentoring experiences through their adult volunteers.

New Directions Resource Centre — Works with chronic car thieves referred to their agency by probation services. They offer individualized counselling and assessment, job training and life-skills mentoring and specialized programs for those with fetal alcohol disorder.

Macdonald Youth Services Vehicle For Change program — An intensive, 10-hour therapy program designed to encourage "non-criminal alternative thinking and behaviour."

Onashowewin Shift To Live program — A mandatory two-hour program for first-time youth auto thieves.