In Canada, where a vehicle is now stolen every five minutes, the national crisis is continuing, according to Équité Association.
In its newly released 2023 Auto Theft Trend report, the not-for-profit organization said: “After the historically high auto theft trends in 2022, the data in this report illustrates the continuation of the national auto theft crisis into 2023.
“Private passenger vehicles (PPV) represent the vehicles that individuals and families drive (cars, trucks, SUVs, and vans). Ontario and Quebec continue to lead PPV auto theft rates across the country, as well as having the lowest vehicle recovery rates.”
It was noted that between 2021 and 2023, auto theft trends in Ontario surged by 48.2%; Quebec, 57.9%; Atlantic Canada, 34%; and Western Canada (including British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba), 5.5%.
Équité Association, which compiled data from Canadian law enforcement agencies, reported the below:
“These trends show that the national auto theft crisis is continuing,” Équité Association president and chief executive Terri O’Brien said in a release. “Canadians are feeling vulnerable, and the majority of us are especially concerned about personal safety and the safety of our communities.
“Criminals are becoming more brazen and are increasingly resorting to violence as witnessed by the significant increase in carjackings and owner-interrupted thefts.”
According to Équité Association, the key priorities to make a meaningful impact on the crisis are stopping the illegal export of stolen vehicles at ports, preventing vehicles from being stolen in the first place, and placing a strong emphasis on information sharing and data-driven partnerships.
“By understanding why auto theft trends are happening, organizations and decision-makers dedicated to preventing auto theft can effectively collaborate on creating solutions,” Équité Association said.
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