Feds boost border services in fight against car theft

The federal government has announced it is committing $15 million to support law enforcement agencies’ work to combat auto theft.

Of that, $9.1 million will be extended to provincial, territorial and municipal police forces through the Contribution Program to Combat Serious and Organized Crime (CPCSOC) to increase their capacity to take custody of detained stolen vehicles from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).

In addition, to enhance information sharing and investigative tactics to identify and retrieve stolen vehicles and parts around the world, INTERPOL’s joint transnational vehicle crime project will receive $3.5 million.

The Government of Canada will also continue to engage its domestic and international partners to ensure a coordinated response to this issue, supported through an investment of $2.4 million.

An estimated 90,000 vehicles are reported stolen annually (or one car every six minutes) in Canada. In some regions, organized crime groups are increasingly turning to violence to commit these crimes, like car jackings and home invasions, and the proceeds of crime are used to fund other illegal activities like money laundering and drug trafficking.

Auto theft also has real economic impacts for Canadian car owners that result in approximately $1 billion in annual losses, including an estimated $542 million in costs annually for insurers to fix or replace stolen vehicles.

This follows the announcement of $28 million for CBSA to detect and search shipping containers for stolen vehicles, as well as enhance collaboration on intelligence sharing with partners across Canada and internationally to help identify those involved within the supply chain and arrest those who are perpetuating these crimes. This includes exploring detection technology solutions and the use of advanced analytical tools, such as artificial intelligence.

The government is also planning bans on devices used to steal vehicles by copying the wireless signals for remote keyless entry, such as the Flipper Zero, which would allow for the removal of those devices from the Canadian marketplace through collaboration with law enforcement agencies.

Other actions include:

• Modernizing the Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards to ensure they consider technological advancements to deter and prevent auto theft.
• Examining potential amendments to the Criminal Code to further strengthen the legal framework related to auto theft, including by reviewing existing offences and penalties.
• Investing $121 million to help prevent gun and gang violence in Ontario, including organized crime and auto theft, through the Initiative to take Action Against Gun and Gang Violence (ITAAGGV).

The Government of Canada and its partners continue to work together to identify solutions to this issue. At the conclusion of the recent National Summit on Combatting Auto Theft, participants endorsed a Statement of Intent and are working to finalize an action plan, which will be released this winter.