Aurora (Jan 31) – Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc announced a federal investment of $121 million to help prevent gun and gang violence in Ontario, including auto theft through the Initiative to take Action Against Gun and Gang Violence (ITAAGGV).
During the announcement, federal and provincial officials spoke to their joint efforts to combat auto theft. This crime is growing in scope in Ontario, and increasingly involves organized crime groups. The proceeds of these thefts are also used to fund other illegal activities.
A National Summit on Combatting Auto Theft on February 8 will bring together all orders of government, industry and law enforcement partners to collaborate on a coordinated response and build on joint initiatives that are already underway.
“Too many families in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and across the country have been impacted by auto theft,” LeBlanc said in a statement. “By working together, we can make our communities safer through greater enforcement, collaboration, and prevention.”
“I look forward to continuing the discussion with the Government of Ontario and other partners on further actions we can take to combat auto theft at next week’s National Summit,” the public safety minister added.
In 2022, approximately 9,600 vehicles were stolen in the Toronto area alone, representing a 300% increase since 2015, according to the Canadian Finance and Leasing Association (CFLA).
Police services in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) have observed a combined 104% increase in carjackings from 2021 to 2022, as per Criminal Intelligence Service Canada (CISC).
Rates of vehicle theft rose by 50% in Quebec, 48.3% in Ontario, 34.5% in Atlantic Canada and 18.35% in Alberta in 2022, as compared to the previous year, Équité says.
Transnational organized criminal groups are believed to be involved in the export of stolen vehicles from Canada, however, most vehicle thefts involve lower level threat groups, with violent street gangs being the most prevalent.
The majority of stolen vehicles exported are destined for Africa and the Middle East. Some stolen vehicles also remain in Canada enabling other crimes to be committed with the vehicles and are destroyed afterwards.
“Today’s announcement will support Ontario’s ongoing efforts to support our police officers and tackle auto theft, gun crime, and gang violence across the province. Our government is stepping up with new investments to keep our communities safe and I particularly look forward to working with the federal government through next week’s auto theft prevention summit,” said Premier Doug Ford.
