The federal government has announced that it will hold a national summit on combatting Canada’s auto theft crisis.
According to Public Safety Canada, the summit is scheduled for February 8 and will include leaders from key jurisdictions and sectors. Its goal is to develop short-, medium-, and long-term strategies to counteract auto theft and enhance ongoing initiatives.
“Collaboration is key to identifying solutions,” said Dominic LeBlanc, Canada's Minister of Public Safety.
“By convening partners from across local, provincial and national jurisdictions, this summit will enable us to coordinate further our collective efforts to combat auto theft. I look forward to our discussions.”
News of the summit comes amid increasing auto theft incidents, which have seen insurers paying over $1.2 billion in claims for stolen vehicles in 2022.
In an emailed statement, the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) praised the government’s latest initiative to address these growing numbers.
“The only way to end this social menace impacting public safety is through a concerted, whole-of-society effort,” said Craig Stewart, IBC’s vice president for climate change and federal issues.
“Convening a national summit and bringing together representatives from all orders of government, law enforcement agencies, and partners from key sectors is a firm step in the right direction to end Canada's auto theft crisis.”
IBC has previously urged the federal government to play a pivotal role in coordinating a collaborative response to the escalating auto theft cases. Last September, it highlighted the steps the insurance industry has taken to incentivize consumers to safeguard their vehicles against theft.
With the upcoming summit, Stewart said IBC feels “encouraged by the leadership shown by the federal government to spearhead a coordinated effort to fight auto theft.”
“The P&C insurance industry has been on the frontlines of the auto theft epidemic for years and looks forward to participating in the summit and offering an important perspective and set of proposed solutions,” Stewart added.
“Kudos to the federal government and the ministers responsible for convening and announcing this critical summit.”
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