Three juvenile females have been convicted thanks to Arlington County's Bait Car Program.

The three individuals were arrested November 6, 2007. On that date, the car's automatic signal alerted Arlington County dispatchers to an intrusion of the vehicle.

Officers responded and located three females, all juveniles, in and around the car.

The three were taken into custody as one woman was attempting to drive the vehicle away. The suspects were also in possession of items taken from the bait car.

Arlington County's fleet of bait vehicles is used to combat auto theft. The bait vehicles are deployed on streets in areas identified as having a high potential for auto related crimes. If an unauthorized person enters one of the bait vehicles, hidden audio and video equipment is activated and a silent alarm alerts the Emergency Communications Center (ECC).

If the bait vehicle becomes mobile, the ECC monitors its location, direction of travel and speed. Then, when police officers are in position, the ECC will disable the engine and lock the doors.

Since the first bait vehicle was deployed in February 2002, Arlington Police have responded to 94 activations, capturing 92 individuals and obtaining 151 felony and 66 misdemeanor warrants. To date, the program maintains a 100 % conviction rate largely due to the indisputable video evidence.

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