Exploring the Involvement of Organized Crime in Motor Vehicle Theft

Thursday, May 27, 2004 – While thieves steal the majority of motor vehicles for thrill-seeking or transportation, about one in five thefts in 2002 were believed to have been committed by organized groups, according to a new report.

About 161,000 motor vehicles were stolen in Canada in 2002, down 5% from the previous year. While it is difficult to estimate the prevalence of organized vehicle theft, the number of stolen vehicles that are not recovered has been used as a proxy measure by police.

Vehicles stolen for thrill-seeking, transportation or to commit a further crime are generally abandoned once they have served their purpose, and are later found by police. Those stolen by organized crime groups tend not to be recovered as they are often exported overseas, transported for interprovincial resale or stripped for the sale of parts.

While the highest rates of total motor vehicle theft are seen in Western Canada, most of these vehicles are later recovered by police. This suggests they were primarily stolen for thrill-seeking or transportation purposes.

Data from 22 large police services indicate that Montr�al had the highest rate of non-recovered stolen vehicles. Its rate of stolen vehicles not recovered in 2002 was twice that of Halifax, the city with the next highest rate.

High rates of stolen vehicles that were not recovered were also found in London, Ottawa-Gatineau and the Toronto area. The lowest rates were reported in St. John’s, Victoria and Regina.

Over one-third of all vehicles stolen from private homes and car dealerships are not recovered, compared with 10% of vehicles stolen from streets and 15% from parking lots. This may be the result of organized thieves targeting high-value vehicles from specific locations.

Source: Statistics Canada’s Internet Site at http://www.statcan.ca

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