Federal action on combatting auto theft

Backgrounder

The Government of Canada is investing $15 million over three years to support law enforcement agencies’ work to combat auto theft through Public Safety Canada’s Contribution Program to Combat Serious and Organized Crime (CPCSOC).

$9.1 million will be extended to provincial, territorial and municipal police forces to enter into multi-year, bilateral contribution agreements to contract additional capacity to increase their capacity to take custody of detained stolen vehicles from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).

To enhance information sharing and investigative tactics to identify and retrieve stolen vehicles and parts around the world. INTERPOL’s joint transnational vehicle crime project will receive $3.5 million.

In addition, the Government of Canada will continue to engage its domestic and international partners to ensure a coordinated response to this issue, supported through an investment of $2.4 million.

To help prevent gun and gang violence, including organized crime and auto theft in Ontario, the Government of Canada is providing the province with $121 million through Public Safety Canada’s Initiative to take Action Against Gun and Gang Violence (ITAAGGV).

Canada Border Services Agency

The CBSA provides critical support to law enforcement partners to disrupt, investigate and ultimately prosecute these crimes. Upfront, preventative and investigative work—within Canada, ahead of reaching the border—is imperative to reduce auto theft overall. The CBSA acts on 100% of referrals from local police and works closely with governments and jurisdictions to intercept stolen vehicles and identify criminal activity within the supply chain.

The Government of Canada is increasing the capacity of the CBSA by investing $28 million to detect and search shipping containers for stolen vehicles, as well as enhance collaboration on investigations and intelligence sharing with partners across Canada and Internationally to help identify those involved within the supply chain and arrest those who are perpetuating these crimes. This includes exploring detection technology solutions and the use of advanced analytical tools, such as artificial intelligence.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Local police have the primary responsibility to investigate stolen vehicle offences. The Criminal Intelligence Service Canada, stewarded by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), coordinates criminal intelligence sharing and analysis between federal, provincial and municipal police forces.  

The RCMP leverages port enforcement capacity in select provinces as part of its Border Integrity Program, helping to identify, assess and respond to significant inbound and outbound threats at Canada’s borders, at seaports, airports, land ports of entry and between ports of entry into Canada.

The RCMP works closely with its international partners and maintains strong relationships with law enforcement agencies worldwide. These relationships are essential to Canada’s ability to deal with global threats, such as serious and organized crime.

Justice Canada

Ensuring people in Canada feel safe in their communities is a top priority. Canada has a robust criminal law framework to address auto theft at various stages of the crime, as well as its links to organized crime. The Department of Justice Canada will, in consultation with provinces and territories, examine potential amendments to the Criminal Code to further strengthen the legal framework related to auto theft, including by reviewing existing offences and penalties.

Transport Canada

Transport Canada will modernize the Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards to ensure they consider technological advancements to deter and prevent auto theft. The Department will also work with public safety partners to identify cargo handling vulnerabilities through targeted security assessments of port facilities. Based on the assessments, the Department will work with port facilities on corrective actions and to implement updated security plans.

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada will work with Canadian companies, and the automotive industry, to develop new solutions to protect vehicles against theft and to assist with recovery of stolen vehicles.

ISED will pursue all avenues to ban devices used to steal vehicles by copying the wireless signals for remote keyless entry, such as the Flipper Zero, which would allow for the removal of those devices from the Canadian marketplace through collaboration with law enforcement agencies.

Contacts

Jean-Sébastien Comeau
Press Secretary and Senior Communications Advisor
Office of the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc
Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs
343-574-8116
Jean-Sebastien.Comeau@iga-aig.gc.ca

Media Relations
Public Safety Canada
613-991-0657
media@ps-sp.gc.ca

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