Hiring and security accreditation of port employees, monitoring of goods compliance, increase in random examinations of containers; Quebec police directors are suggesting a series of “robust” measures in port facilities across the country to stop the “hemorrhaging” of vehicle thefts.
“Not so long ago, car theft was relegated to the status of a minor, almost trivial incident. But, as we know, times have changed,” Pierre Brochet, president of the Association of Police Directors of Quebec (ADPQ), declared Thursday morning before the Standing Committee on Public and National Security of the House of Commons. on vehicle thefts in Canada.
“These thefts, if I don’t repeat myself, are now accompanied by an escalation of violence, representing a very real threat to our citizens and our law enforcement. The recent attacks on police officers are particularly worrying.”
“It is therefore now clear that car theft is no longer limited to simple material damage; it undermines the peace and quiet of our fellow citizens, our police officers, the security of our cities and our roads, thus incurring the responsibility of an entire country,” added the man who is also director of the Laval Police Service.
58% increase
In 2023, more than 15,000 vehicles were stolen in Quebec, an increase of 58% over the last three years.
Organized crime is behind most of these thefts and networks organize regular overseas shipments to Africa and the Middle East, by container.
“These networks exploit vulnerabilities in the security of maritime transport, with the port of Montreal as one of their preferred targets,” said the police director, according to whom “a vigorous response” was needed to the scourge of vehicle theft.
“The phenomenon of auto theft highlights the very integrity of Canada’s ports, which represent essential infrastructure for our country. We must thoroughly review the security of our ports, understand the schemes of criminals and act rigorously and decisively. We must counter the infiltration of organized crime into our ports,” he said.
Filter employees
Mr. Brochet proposes strengthening the selection processes and the security accreditation system for all port employees, and reviewing the regulations surrounding them. He suggests giving this mandate to the police forces.
The police chief believes Ottawa should require all shipping carriers to ensure the goods they transport match container manifests.
He asks the government to impose a percentage of random examinations of containers on customs officers.
For automobile manufacturers, Mr. Brochet suggests that Ottawa strengthen legislative standards to force them to improve the safety devices in their vehicles by integrating, for example, a personalized immobilizer system on all new vehicles and a delay of at least one hour before a key can be reprogrammed.
Finally, the president of the ADPQ asks the federal government to finance mixed police teams to fight against vehicle theft and to deploy tracking systems and surveillance networks on highways, as already exists in the United States.
To contact Daniel Renaud, call 514 285-7000, ext. 4918, write to [email protected] or write to the postal address of The Press.