Vehicle thefts fell 17% in the first six months of 2024 compared with the same period last year, according to data compiled by an insurance-funded crime-fighting organization.
According to the Equity Association, this reduction can be attributed to several factors, including better collaboration between border authorities and police forces, measures put in place by governments and public awareness.
Equity’s vice president of investigative services, Bryan Gast, notes that collective efforts have reduced the number of thefts and, thus, the flow of money into the pockets of organized crime.
In this way, the various measures have reversed the worrying trend of recent years.
In Quebec, vehicle thefts fell by 36%, according to Équité, while Ontario saw a drop of 14%.
Conversely, the number of thefts increased by 11% in Atlantic Canada. Equity believes that this increase is probably linked to the better deterrent measures that have been put in place in Quebec and Ontario.
The organization emphasizes that it is necessary to continue to focus on the prevention of thefts, in order to prevent them from happening.
This Equity report comes a few months after the National Summit to Combat Vehicle Theft, during which the federal government brought together various industry stakeholders to discuss this issue.
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