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Abbotsford Police use gold-wrapped BMW for latest anti-gang campaign

Program aims to pass on message that ‘All That Glitters is Not Gold’
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The Abbotsford Police Department has unveiled the new custom-designed BMW X5 that will be used in its anti-gang messaging.

The Abbotsford Police Department’s newest anti-gang messaging campaign has now hit the road.

The “All That Glitters Is Not Gold” campaign began Thursday (April 2) as a reminder to young people about the dangers of being lured by the promise of quick money and expensive bling.

B.C.’s civil forfeiture program recently loaned a BMW X5 to the Abbotsford Police Department (APD), which has now given it a custom-designed gold chrome wrap.

APD Sgt. Judy Bird said the “Don’t Be Fooled. All That Glitters Is Not Gold” message aims to draw the public’s attention to the fact that the vehicle was seized by police from a criminal.

She said the APD hopes that the BMW will initiate conversations about how the “gangster lifestyle” is not all it appears to be on the surface.

“Criminal activities might not only land gangsters in jail but can result in the loss of the possessions that attract them to the lifestyle in the first place,” she said.

The BMW will be driven by officers and will be prominently displayed at community presentations and public events.

“We want the community to see this vehicle and ask us why the Abbotsford Police are driving a gold BMW X5 – hopefully this will lead to a conversation about ending gang life,” said Community Police Office Sgt. Kelly Joiner.

B.C.’s civil forfeiture office can initiate civil court proceedings to take away property such as vehicles, cash and homes that are believed to have been used in unlawful activity or purchased from the proceeds of such activity.

The vast majority of cases the office pursues have links to drugs, gangs and organized crime.

Since the program’s inception in 2006, the value of property forfeited to the province exceeds $100 million.

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