A recent study finds more than 80% of Canadians say the rise in auto theft makes them concerned about the increase in crime in their community
Toronto, ON (Feb. 6, 2024) – Équité Association has released its 2023 Auto Theft Trend Report, which illustrates the continuation of the national auto theft crisis, following a historically high year in 2022.
In Canada, a vehicle is now stolen every 5 minutes.
Between 2021 and 2023, auto theft trends increased sharply in Ontario (up 48.2%), Quebec (up 57.9%), Atlantic Canada (up 34%), and in Western Canada (up 5.5%).
“These trends show that the national auto theft crisis is continuing,” says Terri O’Brien, President and CEO of Équité Association. “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 car-jackings and owner-interrupted thefts.”
Auto theft in Canada continues to be viewed as a low-risk/high-reward opportunity for criminals, regardless if the vehicles are for export or domestic resale. Illegal profit margins are very high and the risk of prosecution is considerably low. However, there has been a concerted effort recently to change that landscape.
“Over the past few weeks, there has been some real momentum in the fight against auto theft; a result of an unprecedented level of collaboration between the insurance industry, law enforcement, the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA), all levels of government, and Équité Association,” said O’Brien. “The federal government’s recent announcement of $121 million to help combat auto theft in Ontario is a significant step forward; and the upcoming National Summit on Combatting Auto Theft is a perfect example of what can be achieved through this kind of coordinated effort.”
Équité Association is honoured to be presenting at the summit to support the collaborative efforts of all stakeholders and to make a meaningful impact on the auto theft crisis in Canada.
The full report can be found here.
About Équité Association
As a not-for-profit, national organization, Équité Association supports Canadian insurers to fight fraud by using advanced analytics, intelligence best practices, and coordinated investigations. Combining expert investigative services and advanced analytics, Équité serves as a unified organization, delivering improved service and fraud analytics for vehicle, property, and cargo recovery. Leveraging relationships with law enforcement, partners and industry organizations, Équité serves as a centre point for insurance crime across all insurers, and is protecting Canadians by working to eradicate insurance fraud and crime. Équité, is invested in diminishing crime in Canada, and protecting all Canadians against exploitation. For more information, visit www.equiteassociation.com.
SOURCE: Équité Association
Tags: Équité Association, vehicle theft
