Quebec’s Car Theft Rate Soars 50%: A Troubling Increase
In response to the rapidly rising rate of car theft in Canada, the government has announced plans for a national summit next month. The goal of this summit is to bring together leaders from important areas such as various jurisdictions and industry sectors, in order to devise effective solutions to combat this pressing issue.The alarming prevalence of car theft has prompted the Canadian government to take swift action by organizing a national summit. This gathering will be attended by influential figures from significant jurisdictions and industries, all working towards finding solutions to combat the crisis.
As per Équité Association, the leading organization in Canada for detecting and preventing insurance fraud and crime, car theft rates have experienced a significant surge of 50% in Quebec, compared to the previous year. Ontario is not far behind, witnessing a rise of 48.3%. The stolen cars are often transported to foreign nations such as Africa and the Middle East, making it extremely difficult for owners to retrieve their vehicles.
In the previous year, a band of automobile thieves purportedly absconded with three high-end English vehicles from a dealership in Canada. These included a 2022 Bentley Bentayga, a 2020 Rolls-Royce Cullinan, and a 2021 Rolls-Royce Dawn. When calculating the total cost of these cars, it would exceed $1 million.
This type of occurrence is not unique to the US; a recent incident involved 16 Ford Bronco Raptors being stolen, with a combined value of $1.7 million. However, it appears that this issue is particularly prevalent in Canada. According to the Canadian Finance and Leasing Association, there was a significant spike in vehicle thefts last year in the greater Toronto area, with approximately 9,600 vehicles reported missing – a staggering 300% increase since 2015.
According to a recent study, over 80% of Canadians harbor worries regarding this type of crime. Additionally, the report indicated that the top target for theft in 2022 was once again the Honda CR-V, marking its second consecutive year as the most stolen vehicle. It is worth noting that Canadian versions of the Honda CR-V have been manufactured at the Alliston facility located in Ontario since 2012.
Terri O’Brien, president and CEO of Équité Association, expressed gratitude on behalf of the association’s members to the Federal Government and the Department of Public Safety for spearheading the National Summit on Combatting Auto Theft. “We extend our thanks to the Federal Government and the Department of Public Safety for leading the efforts on convening this crucial summit,” stated O’Brien.
The annual conference on preventing car theft, called the National Summit on Combating Vehicle Theft, has been slated to take place on February 8th, 2024.
