With the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games now over, W5 returns to air with a powerful line-up of stories that challenge, inform and educate viewers. In an all-new episode premiering Saturday, March 6 at 7 p.m. ET on CTV (visit CTV.ca for local listings), W5 delivers “Lock ‘Em Up,” Victor Malarek’s report on the Vancouver Police Chronic Offenders Unit and their efforts to keep petty criminals behind bars longer to lower crime rates. In the second story, “Off The Lot,” Paula Todd leads W5’s annual undercover investigation of the used car market, conducted along with the Automobile Protection Association (APA). W5’s work with the APA has brought positive change to the auto resale industry, proving W5 as the most relevant current affairs program in the country.
In Lock ‘Em Up, W5 reporter Malarek gets an inside look at how the Vancouver Police have made a dent in the cycle of property crime. They are targeting the handful of criminals who are responsible for the majority of property crime in the city: break-ins, thefts – the kind of crime that affects most Canadians. The controversial zero-tolerance policy targets known offenders and gets them behind bars. With a 10% drop in property crime in Vancouver since the unit’s inception, is the policy a success and one that might find its way to other Canadian cities?
Also on Saturday, Paula Todd leads W5’s annual undercover investigation of the used car market, conducted along with the Automobile Protection Agency (APA), which assigns failing grades to dealers whose offerings are just too good to be true. What does Todd find? Flat out lies, shocking cover-ups and unethical business practices. For the unsuspecting buyer, picking out the dodgy dealer is a challenge. W5 enlightens unsuspecting buyers on “curbsiders,” faulty cars from dealers posing as vehicles up for private sale, and “zippers,” cars comprised of the two good halves of two wrecked cars fused together. W5’s work with the APA has brought positive change to the auto resale industry, teaching consumers how to protect themselves and recognize the signs of bad used car deals.
With an ongoing commitment to covering tough, relevant stories with fair and responsible reporting, W5 is in its 44th season of investigative journalism. Hosted by CTV NATIONAL NEWS’ Lloyd Robertson and Sandie Rinaldo, the award-winning series is the most-watched current affairs program in Canada. Anton Koschany is Executive Producer of W5. Brett Mitchell is Senior Producer. Robert Hurst is President of CTV News and Current Affairs.
