Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc says the government is putting $28 million into the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) to try to tackle rising rates of auto theft ahead of a summit.
The minister says this funding will be used to enhance the CBSA’s ability to detect and search shipping containers used to transport stolen vehicles overseas.
“The agency will explore new detection technology solutions and the use of advanced analytical tools such as artificial intelligence. This new funding will also enable them to enhance their collaboration with local and provincial police partners and international law enforcement agencies to identify and pursue these car thieves,” LeBlanc said.
On Thursday, cabinet ministers will meet with municipal, provincial and federal law enforcement agencies, Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officials, representatives from ports, vehicle manufacturers, the insurance industry and other stakeholders to talk about ways to combat increasing vehicle thefts.
Police say many vehicle thefts are linked to organized crime. Vehicles that are stolen by these crime rings are put into shipping containers and then often shipped overseas from terminals like the Port of Montreal.
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Transport Minister Pablo Rodriguez says he met with manufacturers recently to discuss ways technology can be used to make vehicles harder to steal, and plans on expanding those discussions at the summit.
Industry Minister François-Phillippe Champagne hinted that further announcements will be made Thursday on measures the government is looking at to address devices that can be used to steal vehicles with modern ignition systems like key fobs.
“There’ll be measures to block certain technologies that have been enabling some of (the thefts) that you can purchase on the internet. So tomorrow, you’ll see more on that,” Champagne said.
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