Thefts, particularly from vehicles, have increased significantly in Montreal since the end of the pandemic, a phenomenon that authorities say is being exacerbated by the shortage of new cars due to the pandemic.
Posted at 5:00 am
For the first time, the Service de Police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) has released statistical reports on crimes committed on the territory of each of its 29 neighborhood police stations.
This data, compiled by La Presse, shows a significant increase in thefts in the city over the past year compared to 2021, particularly in relation to vehicles.
No fewer than 7,161 “motor vehicles” were stolen in the first nine months of 2022, a 62% increase compared to the same period last year.
The defect in question
According to the SPVM, this phenomenon is partly explained by the shortage of vehicles caused by the pandemic.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has led to significant bottlenecks in all economic sectors worldwide. This applies to the semiconductor industry, which is the main component of electronic chips, those essential parts for the manufacture of motor vehicles, ”indicates commander Yannick Desmarais in an email sent to La Presse.
“This has also greatly increased the price of those that have already been on the street, making them all the more attractive to thieves,” he continues.
According to Captain Yannick Desmarais, stolen vehicles are not usually destined for the local resale market.
In fact, the process would be too complex, especially because of the serial numbers that allow the authorities to trace them back to the moment of their registration.
In Montreal, most of the stolen vehicles are intended for “export overseas”, in particular because of the port’s strategic location, he specifies. In another case, the vehicle is dismantled and its parts are sold on the local illegal market.
A simple procedure
According to Jesse Caron, automotive expert at CAA-Quebec, the explanation for the increase in the number of car thefts can be quite simply: The number of cars equipped with smart keys continues to increase. None of Quebec’s top 10 stolen vehicles of 2020 were more than four years old, says CAA-Quebec.
This expert explains that the thieves work in a very simple way, which is to use a signal booster near the victim’s home, where the smart keys are often kept in the gate. An accomplice will then stand near the target car and be ready to open the door once the signal is transmitted to the car.
A simple way to protect yourself from such theft is to keep your keys in a case that blocks radio frequencies of the type RFID.
A simpler version might be to put the keys in a metal box with a lid, like a tea caddy, explains Jesse Caron. The steering wheel lock is also a good alternative.
The SPVM says it has deployed additional resources to investigate motor vehicle thefts since 2021. “An integrated team from different police departments, of which we are part, was also set up in 2021 to unite police efforts to counter the phenomenon as effectively as possible,” added Commander Yannick Desmarais.
And the other flights
In addition to vehicle thefts, Montrealers have been reporting increasing thefts since 2021. In fact, theft and robbery are up again for the first three quarters, up 26% and 18%, respectively.
There has also been a significant increase in burglaries in metropolitan France, where 4,616 burglaries of this type were registered in the first nine months of 2022, ie 27% more than in the same period of 2021.
Finally, in another category, the number of people stopped for driving disabilities has also increased significantly over the past year compared to the first nine months of 2021; 758 drivers were arrested for excessive drinking this year, compared with 1,040 in 2022 during the first three quarters of the year.
With the collaboration of Pierre-André Normandin, La Presse