Canada strengthens crackdown on car theft and launches national action plan
The federal government is launching a "national action plan" to combat car theft, which includes stricter penalties for thieves and strengthened information sharing among police agencies, government officials, and border law enforcement.
On Monday morning, several members of the government cabinet announced the plan at a press conference held in Brampton, Ontario.
This news was released after the National Automotive Security Summit held in Ottawa in February. According to the data released at the time, the car theft rate in multiple provinces has significantly increased compared to the previous year. In Quebec, theft cases have increased by 50%; In Ontario, this number has increased by 34.5%.
According to reports, police services in the Greater Toronto Area have increased by 104%.
On Monday, Canadian Attorney General Arif Virani told reporters, "We are increasing our police force to address new crimes of car theft and its association with violence and organized crime
Image source: CP24
He said that the government is proposing new charges against the leaders of carjacking gangs and those who launder money through organized crime.
It is said that most stolen cars are sold overseas, especially in Africa and the Middle East. Virani said that the money was subsequently used to fuel criminal activities in Canada.
These measures not only help to combat organized crime, but also to combat terrorist organizations
The plan also allows the court to order suspects to disclose their bank accounts to assist police investigations and prohibit financial institutions from closing the accounts in case of suspected criminal activity.
Virani said, "The investigation needs to be conducted along the monetary path, and that's what we're doing with these changes
The federal government is proposing to adopt a new "aggravated consideration" in sentencing, applicable to adult offenders who incite juvenile delinquency. Virani said he hopes this will enable the police to better target the leaders of criminal gangs, rather than those who are of lower rank and often young, only following orders.
Who is commanding those young people? Who is commanding that teenager? Who is carefully planning and providing resources for that teenager? "He asked." The fundamental reason is not that real teenagers commit theft. The fundamental reason is that adult criminals who instruct or actually force them to commit crimes
According to Dominic LeBlanc, the Minister of Public Safety, the police have seized nearly 1200 stolen vehicles so far this year.
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https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/canada-to-launch-national-action-plan-to-fight-auto-theft-1.6893722