Vehicle theft: Insurance Bureau of Canada calls for federal strategy

The Insurance Bureau of Canada (BAC) says the country needs the immediate creation of a national stolen vehicle task force and that law enforcement must be equipped with the controls and resources necessary to stop the flow of stolen vehicles from Canadian ports.

The large number of stolen vehicles is alarming, writes Craig Stewartvice president of climate change and federal affairs at BAC.

“Last year was the first time in history that Canada’s insurers paid $1 billion in stolen vehicle claims. Canada’s private auto insurance provinces of Ontario, Quebec, Alberta and the Atlantic region saw theft claims costs of $1.2 billion in 2022, a tripling compared to approximately $400 million in 2018. In Ontario, car theft claim costs were approximately $700 million in 2022, up from approximately $160 million in 2018, a staggering increase by 329%,” he writes.

The BAC, he continued, expresses serious concerns about the consequences of automobile theft on the public. The association is calling for a coordinated government response, including modernizing vehicle standards so that automakers are required to update anti-theft technologies and install these technologies in the vehicles they make. They also say insurers can take proactive steps to inform homeowners and encourage customers to install after-sales tracking devices through incentives.

“Provincial governments must provide more resources for coordinated, interagency enforcement. To this end, we are encouraged by the Ontario government’s recent commitment to create a provincial auto theft team with dedicated prosecution support to strengthen provincial law enforcement and auto theft deterrence capacity. involvement of organized crime in auto theft. “, writes Mr. Stewart. “Law enforcement agencies need to do a much better job of sharing information with each other to quickly recover vehicles before they cross provincial borders and even leave the country. »

The letter concludes by saying the federal government must also play a leadership role by strengthening oversight at key ports. “All of these approaches must be coordinated in an intensive effort by all stakeholders to immediately reduce auto theft,” writes Craig Stewart. “That’s why IBC is calling on the federal government to launch a National Stolen Vehicle Task Force. »