With more than 30,000 cars stolen in 2023, twice as many as in Quebec, according to Équité Association, Ontario is the epicenter of car theft in Canada. (Archive photo).
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Ontario calls for more container searches and tougher penalties for thieves of cars, as a national summit on the subject opens in Ottawa, convened by the federal government. Political leaders, police officers, border agents and members of the automobile industry are expected.
The federal government called this meeting in response to the increasing number of thefts in the country.
The Solicitor General of Ontario, Michael Kerzner, reminds in a letter to the federal Minister of Public Safety, Dominic LeBlanc, that every 14 minutes, a vehicle is stolen in Ontario.
With 30,134 vehicles stolen in 2023 (+7% compared to 2022), according to the latest Équité Association report, Ontario is the province most concerned.
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In his letter, he relays requests from provincial Premier Doug Ford.
We call on your government to invest in increasing outbound inspections at ports and rail yards , he writes. This is particularly crucial at the Port of Montreal and the various rail yards in Ontario.
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Indeed, after the theft from the home, the Ontario vehicles often leave on trains to ports on the Atlantic coast, before being sent to Africa, Europe and the Middle East.
According to Mr. Kerzner, the federal government should deploy more border services agents and police at ports, invest in technology and security. equipment that can be used to scan shipping containers.
Open in full screen mode< p class="StyledImageCaptionLegend-sc-57496c44-2 sbxsP">Ontario Solicitor General Michael Kerzner plans to speak out loudly at the summit on car theft. (Archive photo)
Finally, on the aspect of repression, he asks the government to' Review the Criminal Code and consider treating vehicle theft for what it is – a serious crime. Doug Ford calls for the imposition of mandatory minimum sentences, without detailing them.
Regarding the search of containers , the Ontario request seems to have been partly heard. On Wednesday, Minister Dominic LeBlanc announced a federal investment of $28 million to combat this problem.
According to the press release, with this funding the Canada Border Services Agency will have greater capabilities to detect and search containers.
He also insists on the possibility of better collaboration and sharing of information, including internationally, and of testing detection technologies available to intercept maritime containers, such as artificial intelligence.
At the end of January, another $121 million in federal funding was announced for the province of # x27;Ontario for the prevention of gun and gang violence in Ontario, including vehicle theft.
Another participant in this summit, Kristine D'Arbelles, spokesperson for the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) has less specific requests. The solution is collaboration between the government, insurers and drivers, she emphasizes.
The organization representing consumers is particularly concerned about the repercussions on the price of insurance.
The impact of vehicle theft for insurance is the equivalent of a catastrophic event that lasts all year, like a tornado that lasts the whole year of which we don't see the end, she says.
If the rate of vehicle theft does not decrease, this will cause an increase in automobile-related costs which could become unbearable.
A quote from Kristine D'Arbelles, spokesperson of the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA)
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She also emphasizes that the increase in interest rate makes it more expensive to buy a new car.
The summit will be held 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The program includes an overview of the stolen vehicle trade, solutions to correct shortcomings as well as discussions on prevention and law enforcement. A press briefing is planned for midday.
Teilor Stone has been a reporter on the news desk since 2013. Before that she wrote about young adolescence and family dynamics for Styles and was the legal affairs correspondent for the Metro desk. Before joining Thesaxon , Teilor Stone worked as a staff writer at the Village Voice and a freelancer for Newsday, The Wall Street Journal, GQ and Mirabella. To get in touch, contact me through my teilor@nizhtimes.com 1-800-268-7116
