Government of Canada National Action Plan results in 19 per cent decline in auto theft

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Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada

Oct 16, 2024, 13:21 ET

OAKVILLE, ON, Oct. 16, 2024 /CNW/ - Today, the Honourable Anita Anand, President of the Treasury Board and Minister of Transport, released an update on the progress made under the National Action Plan on Combatting Auto Theft.

The Action Plan, which was developed following the National Summit on Combatting Auto Theft, focuses on disrupting, dismantling and prosecuting the organized crime groups involved in auto theft. It is built on the following pillars: Intelligence and information sharing; Intervention; and Legislation, regulations and governance.

The Government of Canada's efforts, guided by the Action Plan and done in collaboration with its domestic and international partners, including provinces, territories, municipalities, industry, and law enforcement, are yielding results. According to the Insurance Bureau of Canada, national auto theft trends for 2024 have shown a 19 per cent decline in auto theft in the first half of the year compared to the same period last year. As well, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has intercepted more than 1,900 stolen vehicles in railyards and ports this year, already exceeding last year's total. In the Greater Toronto Area alone, 620 stolen vehicles have been intercepted by the CBSA in 2024.

To date, the following key milestones have been achieved through the Action Plan.

  • Changes to the Criminal Code to provide additional tools for law enforcement and prosecutors to address auto theft, including the addition of new offences targeting the use of violence in the commission of a vehicle theft and links to organized crime, as well as offences for the possession or distribution of electronic tools used to commit auto theft and laundering proceeds of crime for the benefit of a criminal organization. These changes strengthen an already robust framework to address organized crime and auto theft.
  • Enhancements to intelligence and information sharing between municipal, provincial, federal and international police and customs officials.
  • Expansion of scanning technology, data analytics and targeting to increase the examination of shipping containers – including the deployment of additional scanning technology in the Greater Toronto Area.
  • Launch of up-to-date specialized anti-auto theft training for law enforcement, delivered by the Canadian Police College.
  • Radiocommunication Act amendments to regulate the sale, distribution, and importation of radio devices used for auto theft.
  • Establishment of a National Intergovernmental Working Group on Auto Theft to coordinate actions, monitor progress and explore new initiatives to combat auto theft and transnational organized crime.
  • New supports for the development of early-stage, pre-commercial, anti-theft technologies.

While this downward trend is promising, maintaining it will require continued focus and collaboration. Canadians can rest assured that the Government of Canada, as well as our law enforcement agencies, will continue to be vigilant.

Quotes

"When we see that auto theft rates are declining, we know that we're taking steps in the right direction. Our Government is fighting to keep Canadians safe and implementing our Action Plan, including exploring new anti-theft technologies, regulatory updates, and improving port security."

- The Honourable Anita Anand, President of the Treasury Board and Minister of Transport 

"Today's Action Plan update highlights some significant steps forward in our fight to combat this complex crime. Our government will continue to build on this progress to ensure we remain responsive and adaptable in our approach to combat auto theft and the organized crime groups behind it."

- The Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs

"We have shown that by working together, we can tackle complex issues and ensure that all people in Canada can feel safe in their communities. We strengthened the Criminal Code to give law enforcement the full range of tools they need to address auto theft and ensure that offenders are held to account, while strengthening penalties to deter crime."

- The Honourable Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

"No Canadian should wake up to discover their means of getting to work, school, or the grocery store has been stolen. We are working with Canadian companies, online retailers and the automotive industry to come up with new initiatives such as Innovative Solutions Canada' Vehicle Theft Prevention challenge, launched last month. By fostering innovative ideas that will enhance vehicle security and working collaboratively, we can protect our communities and put a stop to auto theft."

- The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry

"We have a common goal to prevent and reduce auto theft crimes, enforce the law and keep Canadians safe. The RCMP has been actively sharing intelligence and information between all levels of law enforcement partners across Canada and internationally, and training investigators with the latest techniques to better detect and disrupt this criminal activity."

- Michael Duheme, Commissioner, Royal Canadian Mounted Police

"Combatting auto theft and the organized crime groups that benefit from it is a priority for the CBSA. So far this year, the CBSA has intercepted more than 1,900 stolen vehicles, already exceeding last year's total. We have also deployed additional scanning technology in the Greater Toronto Area. Moreover, we continue to act on 100% of referrals by enforcement partners and have expanded data analytics and targeting to increase the targeting of shipping containers. Finally, we have established a 24/7 central point of contact for police to coordinate requests to locate vehicles that may be tracked to a port. While we are pleased with what has already been achieved through the National Action Plan, we know more work needs to be done and we will continue collaborating with our partners to intercept stolen vehicles before they leave the country."

- Erin O'Gorman, President of the Canada Border Services Agency

Quick Facts

  • The Government of Canada has been engaging with industry and other stakeholders on auto theft, including port authorities, rail and shipping companies, as well as the automotive and insurance industries, as part of our collective effort to combat this crime.
  • While the investigation of these types of offences falls under the police of jurisdiction, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) are supporting important work being done to make progress on this issue.
  • The RCMP and CBSA continue to be involved in integrated task forces led by the Ontario Provincial Police and Sûreté du Québec.
  • The CBSA has established a 24/7 central point of contact for police to coordinate requests to locate vehicles that may be tracked to a marine port or intermodal facility and continues to act on 100% of referrals.
  • The RCMP continues to process international notifications and requests received through INTERPOL's stolen motor vehicle database to better track stolen vehicles with international partners. From February to August 2024, the RCMP received 2,310 alerts about Canadian vehicles and 424 international collaboration requests.
  • The CBSA, in collaboration with police forces across Ontario and Quebec, announced the recovery of nearly 600 stolen vehicles from the Port of Montreal through Project Vector, in April 2024.
  • The Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) continues to produce financial intelligence disclosures to law enforcement in support or investigations into organized crime, including auto theft.
  • Police services have been encouraged to collect information from victims relating to tracking technology present in their vehicles (i.e., Apple AirTag, Tile Tracker, Samsung SmartTracker) and add this information to the Canadian Police Information Centre system.
  • Transnational organized criminal groups are believed to be involved in the export of stolen vehicles from Canada; however, most vehicle thefts involve lower-level threat groups, with violent street gangs being the most prevalent.
  • Most stolen vehicles exported are destined for Africa and the Middle East. Some stolen vehicles also remain in Canada, enabling other crimes to be committed with the vehicles and are destroyed afterwards.

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SOURCE Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada

Contacts: Gabriel Brunet, Press Secretary, Office of the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs, 819-665-6527, [email protected]; Media Relations, Public Safety Canada, 613-991-0657, [email protected]

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Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada