Liberals asleep on auto theft
THESE CRIMINALS ARE NOT DISSUADED BY SMALL OBSTACLES. — PATRICK BROWN
Across Canada, a silent battle is raging against auto theft, a national crisis that’s feeding the criminal underworld. As mayor of Brampton, Ont., I’ve witnessed the impact firsthand, with organized crime targeting our communities.
A recent highlight in the battle against auto theft is Project Vector, which recovered nearly 600 stolen vehicles, worth approximately $34.5 million, from shipping containers at the Port of Montreal. This operation revealed the massive scale and sophistication of vehicle theft rings, with most stolen vehicles originating from the Greater Toronto Area. Despite this significant development, the vehicles recovered represent a small fraction of those reported stolen, emphasizing the need for more comprehensive strategies.
We’ve made strides locally, distributing over 5,000 Faraday bags to shield key fobs from being copied and beefing up our police force with 135 new officers, courtesy of a 14 per cent funding increase for Peel Region’s law enforcement — the largest increase in history. These measures have yielded some success, but they’re akin to applying a Band-aid to a gaping wound. The real solution is glaringly obvious, yet frustratingly out of reach due to federal inaction.
Consider this: auto theft in Canada has burgeoned into a $1.2 billion industry, where the vast majority of stolen vehicles are shipped out internationally. Our local initiatives, while commendable, are mere drops in the bucket against the tide of organized crime. These criminals are not dissuaded by small obstacles; they simply find ways around them.
Our efforts are rendered almost futile when faced with the reality that only around one per cent of containers leaving Canada are scanned. This gives criminals a 99 per cent success rate in smuggling stolen goods out of the country.
It is very possible to detect and intercept stolen cars before they leave Canadian soil. Yet the response from our federal government has been both slow and inadequate. Despite a unanimous recognition of the issue and an announced $28 million earmarked for scanner technology at ports, the funding was only announced in February, meaning that likely not a cent has been spent.
Our current approach, relying on a form that asks shippers to promise there are no stolen goods in their containers, is naively optimistic. It’s a system that leans heavily on Canadian honesty and politeness — a commendable but entirely ineffective strategy against the brazen audacity of organized criminals.
Moreover, the federal timeline to implement scanners over three years is alarmingly inadequate. Immediate threats demand immediate responses; we can’t wait three months, let alone three years. Project Vector’s inspection of just 390 containers, recovering 598 vehicles, demonstrates the potential impact of these interventions. Their premature cessation underscores the immense challenge ahead and the missed opportunities for significant progress.
These criminals no longer lurk in the shadows; they are bold, stealing vehicles directly from driveways and even committing carjackings. Why? Because the auto-theft industry is lucrative and the risk of getting caught is laughably low. This isn’t just a crime issue; it’s a public safety crisis. The funds from these thefts are funnelled into other nefarious activities, including gun procurement.
In 2022, when I raised this growing concern with then-public safety minister Marco Mendicino, I was told that guns were the priority. But one fails to realize that auto theft is the golden goose for these criminal syndicates, funding their illegal firearms acquisitions.
The current public safety minister, Dominic Leblanc, who’s known for his integrity, must now match good intentions with decisive, immediate action. Our safety, our community’s peace of mind and the integrity of our nation’s ports demand swift measures, not protracted plans.
The time for discussion has passed. The federal government’s inertia is not just disappointing, it’s dangerous. The $28 million pledged for scanners must be more than a promise — it needs to be an immediate action. We cannot afford to wait any longer. Our cities, our citizens and our safety are at stake.
This crisis requires more than unified voices and roundtable discussions. It demands action. It requires the federal government to move beyond rhetoric and take decisive steps to purchase and deploy the necessary scanning technology. Only then can we begin to close the gaping hole through which these criminals operate.
Inaction is a choice — one that we can no longer afford to make. It’s time to plug the hole in Canada’s bucket — not tomorrow, not “soon,” but now. Let’s secure our ports, safeguard our streets and send a clear message to organized crime: Canada is closed for your business.