A glimmer of hope in the world of car theft
After several years of auto theft in Canada spiking to terrifying numbers, last week Équité Association, the national organization focusing on fraud prevention and insurance crime, published some encouraging news — the numbers have started to recede.
In its trend report covering the first half of 2024, it notes the two areas of Canada that had been experiencing the worst rates of theft — Ontario and Quebec — have now seen the largest drops. Canada-wide auto theft, compared to this time last year, has dropped 17% overall. Ontario saw a 14% reduction while Quebec is reporting a whopping 36% fewer stolen vehicles. While Alberta was down by 5%, Atlantic Canada has experienced an increase of 11%.
Those are impressive numbers in some of the worst parts of the country for car theft, though Bryan Gast, vice president of investigative services at Équité, says while the results make him cautiously optimistic, they won’t claim victory just yet.
“Law enforcement is working together extremely well,” he said. “Where there once were independent silos, there is now collaboration and cooperation. The courts have designated prosecutors to combat this, and that dedication to focusing on auto theft is beginning to show results.”
Are current laws in Ontario too lenient?
More stolen vehicles are being recovered
The Équité report also highlights that more vehicles are being recovered. From February 13 of this year, when Canada joined Interpol’s worldwide coalition dealing with auto theft, recovery started heading upwards. The headlines at the time were duly reported — Canada cracked into the top 10 worst numbers in the world the instant it joined — but Gast points out that Canada now has repatriation agreements with 50 countries. He says vehicles are coming back every week, or are being legitimately revinned (a new vehicle identification number) and sold overseas to recoup costs. He says anything that keeps the proceeds from reaching organized crime is critical.
Autos are stolen in Canada with several intentions:
- To be chopped and parted (like this bust in Milton last week)
- To be revinned and sold to unsuspecting buyers in the Canadian marketplace
- To be exported immediately to waiting countries that covet the high-end SUVs and pickups that Quebec and Ontario have been steadily supplying
- To be used in the commission of another crime
Gast notes much of the theft is driven by organized crime, and the proceeds are used in things like terrorism, trafficking, and drugs. “We’re seeing these crime cells move from one province to another as law enforcement starts to clamp down,” he said. A $3.5 million portable scanner has been added to the mix so law enforcement can readily ‘see’ into containers. If a car pops and it’s not on the manifest, it’s probably hot. The portability of the machine means criminals can’t be certain where it might be used.
Courts are stepping up. All levels of law enforcement are stepping up. Consumers are shelling out the equivalent of a theft tax with aftermarket gadgets. What’s missing from this equation?
The manufacturers.
What are manufacturers doing to help curb auto theft?
These cars shouldn’t be so easy to steal in the first place. The companies that make them need to stop doing that Spiderman finger-pointing meme and take responsibility. I can think of no other consumer product that is so expensive, and yet so vulnerable to theft.
Time to step up.
Sign up for our newsletter Blind-Spot Monitor and follow our social channels on X, Tiktok and LinkedIn to stay up to date on the latest automotive news, reviews, car culture, and vehicle shopping advice.