Auto theft impacts thousands of Canadians every year. In 2022, the Insurance Bureau of Canada estimated a record $1.2 billion in theft claims were paid out. This illegal activity is hurting innocent Canadians, burdening them with higher insurance rates, the stress of replacing a vehicle, and in the worst cases, leaving them out of pocket for tens of thousands of dollars.
The National Action Plan on Combatting Auto Theft outlines actions focused on disrupting, dismantling and prosecuting the organized criminal groups behind auto theft. It will be continuously reviewed and updated to be responsive to the evolving tactics employed by criminal networks.
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) provides critical support to law enforcement partners to disrupt, investigate and ultimately prosecute these crimes. Upfront, preventative and investigative work within Canada, ahead of reaching the border-is imperative to reduce auto theft overall. The CBSA counts on police to provide timely referrals and intelligence, to take swift possession of stolen vehicles, and to successfully prosecute cases to stem vehicle theft at the source. In addition, the CBSA also performs searches based on its own intelligence.
The Government of Canada is increasing the capacity of the CBSA by investing $28 million to detect and search shipping containers for stolen vehicles, as well as enhance collaboration on investigations and intelligence sharing with partners across Canada and internationally. This includes exploring detection technology solutions and the use of advanced analytical tools.
More specifically, the CBSA will use the funding to strengthen intelligence-sharing with Canadian and international law enforcement partners to help identify individuals involved in the stolen vehicle supply chain and support work of the police of jurisdiction to apprehend perpetrators of auto theft. This includes continuing to explore, test and if effective at deterring, procure new detection technologies for improved stolen vehicle interdiction, with a particular focus on existing mobile technology, to be deployed to marine ports and intermodal facilities and the use of advanced analytical tools, such as artificial intelligence.
The CBSA is also using advanced data analytics with stolen vehicle (vehicle identification numbers - VIN) to target exporters, shippers and cargo containers to disrupt the flow of stolen vehicles from Canada.
On April 3, 2024, the Ontario Provincial Police led Provincial Auto Theft and Towing (PATT) Team and the CBSA announced the recovery of 598 vehicles before they were illegally exported as part of Project Vector. Approximately 75 per cent of vehicles recovered from sea containers in Montréal are identified as stolen in Ontario.
To date, CBSA has intercepted 1,205 stolen vehicles in railyards and ports in 2024.
Public Safety Canada
The Government of Canada is investing $15 million to support law enforcement agencies' work to combat auto theft. $9.1 million will be extended over three years to support provincial, territorial and municipal police forces through Public Safety Canada's Contribution Program to Combat Serious and Organized Crime (CPCSOC) to increase their capacity to take custody of detained stolen vehicles from the CBSA.
To enhance information sharing and investigative tactics to identify and retrieve stolen vehicles and parts around the world, Public Safety Canada will receive $3.5 million to support INTERPOL's joint transnational vehicle crime project.
To enhance information sharing across federal, provincial, and territorial governments, the Government of Canda will establish a National Intergovernmental Working Group on Auto Theft, led by Public Safety Canada, to coordinate actions, monitor progress, and explore new initiatives that may be undertaken at all levels for a multi-faceted approach to combatting auto theft.
In addition, the Government of Canada will continue to engage its domestic and international partners, including provinces, territories, municipalities, industry and close allied nations to ensure a coordinated response to auto theft, supported through an investment of $2.4 million.
To help prevent gun and gang violence, including organized crime and auto theft in Ontario, the Government of Canada is providing the province with $121 million from 2023 to 2028 through Public Safety Canada's Initiative to take Action Against Gun and Gang Violence (ITAAGGV).
Through the National Crime Prevention Strategy, the Government of Canada will continue to invest $51 million per year in community-based prevention initiatives for youth-at-risk for future involvement in the criminal justice system, including to prevent at-risk youth from joining gangs.
The Government will also prioritize new project funding under the Youth Gang Prevention Fund for community-based initiatives that prevent at-risk youth form joining gangs and divert them from future involvement in criminal and anti-social activities, such as youth delinquency, auto theft, substance use and gun violence.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Local police have the primary responsibility to investigate stolen vehicle offences. The Criminal Intelligence Service Canada, stewarded by the RCMP, coordinates criminal intelligence sharing and analysis between federal, provincial and municipal police forces.
To enhance information sharing across law enforcement, the RCMP delivers Canadian Police College courses on auto theft investigative techniques to municipal, provincial and federal levels of law enforcement.
The RCMP leverages port enforcement capacity in select provinces as part of its Border Integrity Program, helping to identify, assess and respond to significant inbound and outbound threats at Canada's borders, at seaports, airports, land ports of entry and between ports of entry into Canada.
The RCMP will continue to work closely with its international partners and maintains strong relationships with law enforcement agencies worldwide. These relationships are essential to Canada's ability to deal with global threats, such as serious and organized crime.
In the first six weeks of the integration of stolen motor vehicle records from the RCMP's Canadian Police Information Centre with INTERPOL's Stolen Motor Vehicle Database, there were more than 1,000 international partner queries that matched to Canadian stolen motor vehicle records.
Justice Canada
Ensuring people in Canada feel safe in their communities is a top priority. Canada has a robust criminal law framework to address auto theft at various stages of the crime, as well as its links to organized crime.
The government has put forward legislation to amend the Criminal Code through Bill C-69, the Budget Implementation Act, 2024, No. 1 to provide additional tools for law enforcement and prosecutors to address auto theft. These include:
- New offences targeting auto theft and its links to violence and organized crime punishable by a maximum of 14 years.
- New offences for possession and distribution of a device used to commit auto theft punishable by a maximum of 10 years by indictment.
- New offence for laundering proceeds of crime for the benefit of a criminal organization punishable by a maximum of 14 years.
- New aggravating factor applicable at sentencing where there is evidence that an offender involved a person under the age of 18 in the commission of an offence; and
- Additional investigative tools by making wiretap warrants and DNA orders available for auto theft.
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) will work with other government departments, Canadian companies, and the automotive industry to develop innovative solutions to protect vehicles against theft and to assist with recovery of stolen vehicles.
As committed in Budget 2024, the Government of Canada has introduced changes to the Radiocommunication Act to provide the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry with the authority to regulate the sale, distribution and importation of radio devices that are believed to be used to intercept communications for criminal activity, such as auto theft.
ISED will pursue all avenues to regulate devices used to steal vehicles by intercepting the wireless signals, allowing for the removal of those devices from the Canadian marketplace through collaboration with law enforcement agencies.
Transport Canada
Transport Canada has committed to modernizing Motor Vehicle Safety Regulations to ensure they consider technological advancements to deter and prevent auto theft. Transport Canada will also work with public safety partners to undertake targeted security assessments at high-risk port facilities with the goal of strengthening security plans as required.
Recognizing that vehicle theft is a challenge that implicates many stakeholders, Transport Canada will continue to work closely with Public Safety Canada and its Portfolio partners and engage key stakeholders, such as automobile manufacturers, railway companies, Canada Port Authorities and port operators, security partners, insurance industry representatives, provincial and territorial transportation ministries, and other government departments, in support of a collaborative approach.
