A bait car, also called a decoy car, is a vehicle used by law enforcement

Police

The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...

 agencies to capture car thieves

Motor vehicle theft

Motor vehicle theft is the criminal act of stealing or attempting to steal a motor vehicle...

. The vehicles are modified, with features including GPS tracking

GPS tracking

A GPS tracking unit is a device that uses the Global Positioning System to determine the precise location of a vehicle, person, or other asset to which it is attached and to record the position of the asset at regular intervals...

 and audio/video surveillance technology, and can be remotely monitored and controlled. A "kill switch

Kill switch

Kill switch, also called an e-stop, is a security measure used to shut off a device in an emergency situation in which it cannot be shut down in the usual manner...

" may be installed in the vehicle allowing police to remotely disable the engine and lock all doors from the inside, preventing escape.

The bait car, often filled with valuable items to draw attention to it, is parked in a high auto-theft area.