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Auto theft drops 17 per cent in six months, industry report finds

July 17, 2024, Ontario and Quebec – Auto thefts were down 17 per cent during the first six months of 2024 compared with the same period last year, an insurance fraud prevention group said in its report.

Équité Association said the drop can be attributed to multiple factors including increased border patrol and police collaboration, government action and better public awareness.

Collective efforts have reduced theft and money flowing toward organized crime and have reversed the concerning trend of recent years, said Bryan Gast, vice-president of investigative services at Équité.

“Police services across Canada, particularly Ontario and Quebec, have been building their auto theft units and then working collaboratively,” said Gast in an interview Wednesday.

In Ontario, auto theft decreased by 14 per cent while Quebec saw a 36 per cent decline in stolen vehicles, according to the report released Tuesday.

The Insurance Bureau of Canada paid around $1.5 billion in claims in 2023, a record high. That year, vehicle thefts rose by 50 per cent in Quebec and almost as much in Ontario.

Insurers have said the majority of vehicles are being stolen from Ontario and Quebec and exported through the busy Port of Montreal. Around 1.7 million containers moved through the port last year, including 70 per cent of Canada’s legal vehicle exports, according to port authorities.

The federal government estimates 90,000 cars are stolen each year in Canada and many of the thefts involve connections to organized crime.

“This is not just a victimless crime. It’s not just a property crime,” Gast said. “This is organized crime that is targeting the vehicle as a commodity to profit from and fund their criminal operations.”

He added the goal is to lower the theft numbers and take away profits from organized crimes.

Meanwhile, the theft rate in Atlantic Canada went up by 11 per cent. The rise is likely tied to better deterrent measures in Ontario and Quebec, the report added.

Gast said he is “cautiously optimistic” about the six-month trend and hopes it continues for the rest of the year. Although, he added, continued focus on collaborative efforts is needed.

“It’s a complex problem with a complex solution. There’s no one silver bullet,” he said. “Everything’s got to come together, right from making the vehicle harder to steal in the first place to helping Canadians — making them aware of some of the precautions.”

Action plans from the federal government unveiled during the May long weekend expanded on existing efforts, following a February summit which brought several stakeholders to discuss solutions.

One of the action plans to disrupt organized crimes, Gast said, was to report all stolen vehicles internationally through the database — notifying all countries they might have stolen vehicles there.

Other strategies call for shipment container inspections to expand even further, including deploying scanning and detection technology beyond ports in places like rail yards. It also said Public Safety Canada will lead a working group involving all provincial and territorial governments.