MP Report – Car Theft
It Costs Everyone
Car theft becoming a massive cost for every Canadian because the problem is getting out of control and the criminals are far ahead of law enforcement. Car theft us up over 35% since 2015.
Car theft provides a major source of funding for terrorist and crime organizations to the tune of over $1 billion per year.
Car theft now costs the insurance industry more than $1.5 billion, meaning every Canadian must pay more each month. This is because 1,000 vehicles are stolen each week. Each car stolen usually results in an insurance claim which means you are paying more for insurance — the more that are stolen, the more you pay.
The federal government’s lax rules on crime mean that repeat offenders are usually released on bail within hours of arrest. Once released they often go and promptly re-offend. Even after offenders have been convicted, they often get house arrest. This means that they can just walk out their front door and be on the streets again immediately, stealing cars and terrorizing our neighbourhoods.
Canada needs a government that will hit the brakes on car theft, protect your property and bring home safe streets. I think we need to: Increase the mandatory minimum penalty from six months to three years for a third offence; remove eligibility for house arrest if convicted of motor vehicle; create a new, specific aggravating factor where the offence of motor vehicle theft is committed for the benefit of organized crime; and, repeal catch-and-release rules in Bill C-75 to ensure that repeat offenders get jail, not bail.
It’s time to drive down insurance costs and that starts with putting the brakes on auto theft.