Action plan against vehicle theft | Ottawa “tightens the screw”

The federal government plans to “dismantle and prosecute” criminal groups responsible for vehicle theft through a new national intervention plan.

“We are announcing concrete solutions to a problem that affects more than 90,000 Canadians each year,” said the Minister of Transport and lieutenant of Quebec, Pablo Rodriguez, alongside the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry , François-Philippe Champagne, at a press conference in Dorval.

Ottawa intends to strengthen legislation regarding car theft, facilitate the sharing of information and improve the intervention capacity of different law enforcement agencies.

This plan builds on the conclusions of the National Summit to Combat Vehicle Theft held by the federal government last February. “We are tightening the screw, that’s really the message,” said François-Phillipe Champagne, who was unable to specify how much the bill for this plan will amount to.

A muscular response

Ottawa wants to modernize the laws and regulations regarding car theft, in particular by putting in place tougher penalties for vehicle thefts involving acts of violence, organized crime and money laundering.

The action plan plans to inject $28 million into intervention measures against vehicle theft. The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) will integrate “the use of advanced data analytics and artificial intelligence to better target containers containing vehicles that may have been stolen,” according to the government press release federal.

New officers will be hired and deployed to increase surveillance of ports, railway stations and intermodal centers.

Ottawa also intends to strengthen cooperation between law enforcement agencies in Canada and elsewhere in the world, by promoting the exchange of information.

Currently, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has intercepted 1,205 stolen vehicles at train stations and ports since the start of 2024.