Ottawa Adds Another $15 Million to Car Theft Prevention Efforts
The federal government will invest an additional $15 million over three years to support law enforcement agencies’ work to combat auto theft across the country.
The announcement was made in Montreal on Wednesday by Canadian Minister of Public Safety Dominic LeBlanc, along with Montreal police chief Fady Dagher and RCMP commissioner Mike Duheme, among others.
- Also: Ottawa to Combat Car Theft at Border, Ports and Online
- Also: Ontario Gets $121 Million From Ottawa to Fight Crime Including Car Theft
Most of the new money—$9.1 million to be exact—will be extended to provincial, territorial and municipal police forces to increase their capacity to take custody of detained stolen vehicles from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).
Next, $3.5 million will be allocated to enhance information sharing and investigative tactics to identify and retrieve stolen vehicles and parts around the world via INTERPOL’s joint transnational vehicle crime project.
Furthermore, the government will spend $2.4 million to ensure a more coordinated response with its domestic and international partners, LeBlanc said.
Earlier this month, on the eve of the National Summit on Combatting Auto Theft, Ottawa announced a federal investment of $28 million to increase the CBSA’s capacity to detect and search shipping containers for stolen vehicles, including exploring detection technology solutions and the use of advanced analytical tools such as AI, as well as enhance collaboration on intelligence sharing with partners across Canada and internationally.
Ontario will also receive $121 million to help prevent gun and gang violence in the province, including organized crime and auto theft.
As we reported, too, the feds are looking at ways to ban direct sale of theft-enabling gadgets through large online platforms. These include devices used to steal vehicles by copying the wireless signals for remote keyless entry, such as the Flipper Zero.
What about reviewing existing offences and penalties for car thieves? Pressed by the Conservative opposition, Ottawa said it’s “examining potential amendments to the Criminal Code.”
More announcements could be made later in 2024, so watch this space.