The Trudeau government wants to mobilize the provinces, the various police forces and representatives of the automotive industry, among other things, to counteract a growing scourge in the country: car theft.
Published at 5:41 p.m. Updated at 7:03 p.m.
Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc announced Sunday the holding of a national summit to combat vehicle theft in Ottawa on Feb. 8.
PHOTO JUSTIN TANG, CANADIAN PRESS ARCHIVE
Minister of Public Safety Dominic LeBlanc
Car theft has become a very lucrative and very sophisticated cross-border crime that not only affects Canadians, but also strengthens criminal organizations with the proceeds of crime, Minister LeBlanc argued in a press briefing with four of his colleagues.
The announcement of this summit came on the first day of a three-day cabinet meeting in Montreal to prepare for the start of the legislative period. The housing crisis, the rising cost of living, immigration policy, and the impact of the presidential election on Canada-U.S. relations are among the topics discussed during this retreat.
According to a report published last June, on average a car is stolen every six minutes in the country. Auto industry estimates show car theft rates rose 50% in Quebec and 48.3% in Ontario in 2022 compared to the previous year.
The Port of Montreal has essentially become a transit point for the export of stolen vehicles. The majority of these vehicles end up in Africa and the Middle East.
The police authorities are being thwarted by every means possible. In Montreal, stolen vehicles end up in the port because criminal networks have registered companies that serve as a front for the transport of goods.
Even elected officials do not escape this scourge. At the federal level, former Justice Minister David Lametti twice saw his official vehicle assigned to him by the federal government stolen by thieves, as CBC reported last June. The first vehicle, a Toyota Highlander XLE, was stolen on February 11, 2011 and never recovered. The second vehicle, again a Toyota Highlander XLE, disappeared on February 13, 2023, but was found a month later.
In the province, International Relations and Francophonie Minister Martine Biron was also the victim of a car theft, the Journal de Montréal reported. His company car was stolen on December 5th in the Saint-Émile sector in Quebec. He was finally found in Montreal a few hours later.
Ottawa's proposed summit aims to identify possible “short, medium and long-term” solutions to combat this scourge.
“Collaboration is essential to finding solutions. By bringing together partners from local, regional and national jurisdictions, this summit will enable us to better coordinate our collective efforts to combat vehicle theft,” said Ms. LeBlanc.
The minister said he was concerned about the violence that is increasingly characterizing these vehicle thefts. “We are seeing more and more people being targeted in these crimes. “This scourge has caused great concern in all parts of the country,” the minister added.
His Quebec counterpart, Minister François Bonnardel, welcomed the Trudeau government's announcement. “The scourge of car theft was one of Quebec's priority issues at the last meeting of federal, provincial and territorial partners in Bromont last October. I will work with public safety teams to find lasting solutions,” he commented.
According to Transportation Minister Pablo Rodriguez, who is also Justin Trudeau's political lieutenant in Quebec, the increase in these crimes is having a significant impact.
“Too many Canadians have paid the high price, financially and emotionally, of having their cars stolen,” Rodriguez said.
“Car theft is a growing criminal phenomenon affecting Canadians from coast to coast. It is important that we address this problem,” emphasized Industry Minister François-Phippe Champagne.
With Tommy Chouinard, La Presse