CADA takes aim at stolen vehicle crisis
June 6, 2022
Recent statistics and high-profile carjackings have illuminated the fact we’re experiencing a stolen vehicle crime wave in Canada, brought on by organized crime. In fact, the stolen vehicle rates in Canada have always been historically higher than the United States. At least this was the case until 2010, when the Harper Government passed Bill S-9, an Act to Amend the Criminal Code (Auto Theft and Trafficking in Property Obtained by Crime).
Bill S-9 was a landmark anti-crime bill that CADA lobbied hard for. For the first time, the bill created a separate offence for motor vehicle theft, punishable by imprisonment for a maximum of 10 years. More importantly, the bill also allowed the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) to prevent the cross-border movement of property obtained by crime, including stolen vehicles.
It has become clear that the CBSA needs to ameliorate their enforcement of Bill S-9, as there is now an abundance of evidence of stolen Canadian vehicles in Africa, the Middle East and other destinations. The federal government needs to take responsibility for this lack of CBSA enforcement, which has created a pathway for criminals to exploit the automotive industry, leading to carjackings of luxury vehicles, the defrauding of dealerships, and the stealing of vehicles from driveways and car lots.
CADA has a long track record of lobbying successfully for better legislation and law enforcement action to address the problem of stolen vehicles. As a national association, CADA has brought together an emerging coalition of our provincial dealer association members, with affiliated organizations such as the Canadian Finance and Leasing Associations, The Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers Association and the Global Automakers of Canada.
The aim of these groups is to step up federal enforcement of Bill S-9 to stop stolen vehicles leaving Canada illegally, driving up this sometimes violent crime of car theft in Canada.
Dealers with questions or comments can contact Huw Williams in CADA’s Ottawa office at [email protected].