A new report from Équité Association highlights a continued national decrease in vehicle theft, with an 18.6 per cent year-over-year decline across Canada that they have attributed to the collective efforts and actions taken by key stakeholders throughout the year.
“(Last year) was a milestone year in the fight against auto theft in Canada,” said Terri O’Brien, President and CEO of Équité Association, in a statement. “Momentum is on our side to disrupt criminal networks from profiting off insurance fraud, as we work on behalf of our industry members to prevent vehicle theft in Canada.”
Data from its 2024 Auto Theft Trend Report shows that decreases in auto theft were more significant in Quebec (down 32.4 per cent), Ontario (down 17.4 per cent) and Western Canada (down 12.7 per cent). There was no change in Atlantic Canada.
Équité Association said the national recovery rate for stolen vehicles is 59.3 per cent, with 40 per cent of the vehicles stolen not yet recovered. By province, the stolen vehicle recovery rate is 50.8 per cent in Ontario, 43.6 per cent in Quebec, 64.0 per cent in Atlantic Canada, and 77.4 per cent in Western Canada.
“Organized crime networks are being funded through insurance crime and auto theft,” said Bryan Gast, Vice President of Investigative Services at Équité Association, in a statement. He later added that the single most impactful step we can take to prevent the continued funding of organized crime networks, including drug trafficking, remains making the vehicles harder to steal in the first place.
