Canada Border Services Agency recovers nearly 2,000 stolen vehicles

Canada’s border guards have recovered more stolen vehicles from rail yards and ports so far this year than in all of 2023.

Federal Transport Minister Anita Anand said the Canada Border Services Agency has recovered 1,945 stolen vehicles, the majority in Quebec.

The federal government launched an action plan earlier this year to tackle record rates of vehicle theft by mobilizing local and international law enforcement, vehicle manufacturers and other partners.

The plan is working as we have seen a 19% decrease in vehicle thefts in the first half of 2024 compared to last yearMs. Anand said at a news conference outside Halton Region Police Service headquarters in Oakville, Ont.

She was referring to statistics released earlier this month by the Insurance Bureau of Canada, which indicate that more than 4,000 fewer vehicles were stolen during the first six months of 2024 compared to the same period a year ago. year. However, this figure is twice what it was 10 years ago.

Anand added that she plans to introduce new regulations next year for automakers regarding the need to equip new vehicles with anti-theft devices, but she would not give a specific timetable.

She said consultation on these potential regulations has been completed and she is waiting for officials to come forward with proposed changes. Anti-theft regulations would only apply to new vehicles.

A problem “far from being resolved”

Much of the problem is concentrated in Ontario and Quebec, with stolen vehicles routed through the port of Montreal and then shipped overseas.

According to Equity Association, the national authority on insurance crimes, 28,550 vehicles were stolen in Canada during the first half of 2024. This is a 17% decrease from last year .

This absolutely does not mean that the problem is resolved, it is far from being resolved.argued Bryan Gast, vice-president of the Équité Association investigation department.

The numbers are far too high, but it is good to see that the efforts made to enforce the regulations are bearing fruit.

Mr. Gast believes that until the proposed regulations for automakers are adopted, only some parts of the action plan, such as improving the exchange of information between police agencies, can be implemented. .

While Ms. Anand insisted that regulations will focus on newly built vehicles, Mr. Gast suggested that some improvements to anti-theft technology could be made through software updates on newer vehicle models.

The last update of the regulations on anti-theft measures in Canada dates back to 2007 with the obligation to install immobilizers. After that year, vehicle theft rates decreased by 50% and remained relatively stable until they began to increase again in 2021.

Gast said modern methods of vehicle theft, such as remote key reprogramming, either didn’t exist at the time or were in their infancy.

The new standards really need to be modernized to reflect how vehicles are stolen and the current vulnerabilities of these vehicleshe declared.