The RCMP says car crime has dropped dramatically since April.

Spokesperson Tim Shields says it's primarily due to the expansion of the bait car program to the Fraser Valley and Squamish earlier this year.

Shields says enforcement initiatives in Surrey and increased use of anti-theft devices have also contributed to the 13 per cent decrease in auto theft over the summer.

Through the bait car program, police plant cars in high crime zones. A signal is sent to RCMP headquarters when thieves try to steal these cars.

Shields says the lower mainland became known as the car theft capital of the English speaking world last year. He hopes the bait car program will change that.