The federal government is changing the Criminal Code and regulations in an effort to curb car theft.
Several ministers gathered in Brampton, Ont., on May 20 to announce the “national action plan on combatting auto theft.”
“Our Budget Implementation Act includes measures such as providing law enforcement and prosecutors with the tools they need to protect Canadians from having their cars stolen,” Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said during the conference.
Justice Minister Arif Virani said it was not just an issue for the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), and they were looking to get at the “root causes” of criminal activity.
“The fact that it’s auto theft that is orchestrated not by a one-off joyrides type of situation, but it’s orchestrated by organized crime,” he said.
Car thefts have led to an increase in insurance costs, according to the Insurance Bureau of Canada. The organization paid out around $1.5 billion in claims in 2023, in what is considered a record high. Vehicle thefts were up by about 50 percent in Quebec and Ontario that year.
Estimates by the federal government show that 90,000 cars are stolen each year in Canada, with many connected to organized crime.
The government says it’s working to reduce these numbers.
Changes to Legislation
Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc said that the government has partnered with law enforcement to “redouble our efforts” to combat auto theft in the GTA and across Ontario.
“We will introduce new legislative and regulatory changes that will include tougher penalties for auto theft under the Criminal Code and strict regulation of devices that are used in the theft of vehicles,” he said during the conference.
The regulation of the devices mentioned by Mr. LeBlanc refers to changes to the Radiocommunication Act that allow the minister of innovation, science, and industry to regulate the sale, distribution, and importation of radio devices used for auto theft.
The federal government said it is introducing tougher penalties for suspects who involve minors in crimes.
“What we’re proposing to this legislation is a new aggravated factor in sentencing. It will be applied to an adult offender who involves a young person in the commission of the crime,” Mr. Virani said.
Mr. LeBlanc said they were also looking at enhancing intelligence and information sharing between governments, law enforcement agencies, and customs officials.
“This will allow us to identify stolen vehicles more quickly at our ports and rail yards,” he said.
Other changes the government is proposing include making wiretap warrants and DNA orders available for auto theft investigations, offences for laundering proceeds of crime for the benefit of a criminal organization, and new offences for possession and distribution of a device used to commit auto theft.
