Most cars stolen in N.B. are used to commit other crimes, not for export
New report finds majority of recovered vehicles have been burned
Doug Short walks around his impound lot, pointing out one stolen and recovered vehicle after another — a sedan with a smashed out rear window, a pair of pickup trucks and a row of others buried in snow.
Every two to three days, the owner of Five Star Towing gets a call about another stolen auto found in greater Moncton. Between his company and others, he estimates a couple vehicles are being recovered in the city every day.
"Since I've started towing, I've seen it over triple," said Short, who's been running the business for 18 years. "They just keep coming in."
A spike in recovered stolen vehicles is being reported across New Brunswick. The province is seeing a sharp rise in auto thefts, a trend across Canada. But unlike Ontario and Quebec, where most vehicles are stolen for export overseas, most New Brunswick vehicles are taken to commit other crimes — and are eventually found.
A report released early this month by Équité Association, a national non-profit which investigates theft and fraud for the insurance industry, found that thieves in New Brunswick are stealing vehicles to commit other crimes and often burn them to try and eliminate fingerprints and other evidence.
Thieves
smashed out the rear window of this sedan while stealing it, before
eventually abandoning it. It was recovered and towed to a Moncton
impound lot. (Alexandre Silberman/CBC)
High recovery rate
In Atlantic Canada, 67 per cent of stolen vehicles were recovered in 2023, compared to 44 per cent in Ontario and 37 per cent in Quebec, according to the report. The difference is because of the large number of vehicles sent overseas from those provinces.
Bryan Gast, Équité's vice-president of investigative services, said some vehicles in the Maritimes are being stolen for local use by organized crime, for "joy rides," or stripped down for parts. Others are being exported through the ports of Saint John and Halifax.
"This is not a victimless crime, this is not just a property crime," he said. "They're using the proceeds of these vehicles to fund their criminal operations, whether that be drugs or firearms."
Bryan
Gast, vice-president of investigative services at Équité Association,
looks on as vehicles seized at the port of Malta and returned to Canada
are off-loaded in Montreal. (Michael Drapack/CBC)
Gast, a former officer with the Ontario Provincial Police, said while many criminals try to burn vehicles to eliminate evidence, it's a largely ineffective tactic.
"Our investigators can restore the true identity of the vehicle and law enforcement are very good at forensic analysis," he said.
'There's a lot of eyes watching'
About three years ago, one of Short's tow trucks was stolen. While it was never located, the incident motivated him to launch a "Maritime Stolen Vehicle" Facebook group so members of the public can help each other track down stolen vehicles across the region. It has grown to more than 8,000 members.
"I've had many messages from people that have had vehicles stolen and we've found them abandoned in campgrounds, we've found them all over the place," he said. "People are starting to realize that there's a lot of eyes watching right now.
Five Star Towing currently has about 10 vehicles on the lot that have been recovered and are still unclaimed, after unsuccessful efforts to find the owner through insurance companies.
Both of these pickup trucks were stolen and abandoned by thieves in the Moncton region. (Alexandre Silberman/CBC)
Short said Ford trucks are one of the most frequently stolen and recovered vehicles in the Moncton area, as many models don't have security systems, which make them easier targets.
"There's people hired just to figure out how to get by security systems and it's working. They're definitely getting them," he said.
The latest New Brunswick-specific data shows 2,054 vehicles were stolen in 2022 — a 118 per cent increase since 2016, according to Statistics Canada.
Équité Association is calling for an update to federal regulations so anti-theft measures are required to keep up with new technology like push-start ignitions.
Earlier this month, the federal government convened a national summit on auto theft.
Gast said additional law enforcement resources dedicated to vehicle crime will help address the issue, along with collaboration between different levels of government, police and the Canada Border Services Agency.
He said the key is "making the vehicles harder to steal, whether that's through the manufacturer or after-market solutions," and making it more difficult to get the vehicles out of the country.
"It's a complex problem, there's no magical solution."
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
G. Timothy Walton
How much of the theft increase is because of improved theft technology?
MR Cain
Reply to G. Timothy Walton
I don't think people are very careful with their vehicles. Some will leave the keys in the ignition, under the mat, or on top of a tire; especially those who work for companies and leave the vehicles for others. A lot of people just don't lock the doors. One has to wonder when these big trucks and trailers go missing. Some would be inside jobs, people you know; don't think there is a lot of staking out
victims.
David Amos
Reply to G. Timothy Walton
Hard telling not knowing but I bet the RCMP know the answer
William Murdoch
And o course it wouldn't be Canada without a double dipper now working in a new position. The Gasts of The World Unite.
David Amos
Reply to William Murdoch
I am aghast that somebody else noticed
Akimbo Alogo
police unions....less work, more money
MR Cain.
Reply to Akimbo Alogo
Like firefighters; you want the service you pay for it.
Non-negotiable. They don't go on strike either.
David Amos
Reply to Akimbo Alogo
I second that emotion
William Murdoch
I left the keys to my car on the driver seat, my hand held device and, my tablet and, my laptop on the back seat.
Then I went on social media and claimed that everything was stolen except my summer tires on original rims leaning up against my shed.
Then two weeks later after I returned from my hunting trip to the camp where I conveniently while being there geo-tagged my uploaded videos to all of my accounts - what do I find ... someone stole my summers on mags.
David Amos
Reply to William Murdoch
What should we make of your claims?
Bill Watson
The reason the NB vehicles aren't exported is most of them are beaters.
David Amos
Reply to Bill Watson
Oh So True
Tristis Ward
(just by the headline response)
Now that's some down home grand theft, there boys.
David Amos
Reply to Tristis Ward
Surely you jest
Tristis Ward
Reply to David Amos
I do. And don’t call me Shirley.
David Amos
Reply to Tristis Ward
I promise that I never will
Jimmy Cochrane
More guns = less auto theft.
Tim Lingley
Reply to Jimmy Cochrane
Nope. If this were true the USA would be at the bottom of the list when it comes to vehicle thefts per capita. They're actually 10th on the list (per Wikipedia).
Tim Lingley
Reply to Tim Lingley
I should also point out that when re-sorting that list by the number of thefts in total, the USA actually tops the list, with three times the amount of thefts compared to the next country, Brazil.
Jack Bell
Reply to Tim Lingley
Don't know if you noticed this but they are lower on the list than Canada... I wonder why?
William Peters
Reply to Jimmy Cochrane
Are you that susceptible to right wing propaganda? Capitalism=freedom too, I suppose.
Tristis Ward
Reply to Jimmy Cochrane
More guns equals more homicide/suicide/shooting accident. No vehicle is worth the lives of children, endangered while in school on the regular.
Lou Bell
Reply to Tim Lingley
Most likely the other way around in the US . Those with with the arms may be the culprits .
William Murdoch
Reply to Tristis Ward
In school on the regular reference. Neat.
G. Timothy Walton
Reply to Jimmy Cochrane
More guns = more gun theft.
More guns in cars = more profit for car thieves.
Rosco holt
Reply to G. Timothy Walton
Also more guns = more death by guns.
MR Cain
Reply to Jimmy Cochrane
Mor 300 people shot every day in the states. If there were fewer guns, less violence.
MR Cain
Reply to Jack Bell
U.S. drivers were subjected to 1,001,967 vehicle thefts. 105,000 vehicles were stolen across Canada. Don't know what figures you use, but given the US has 10 times the pollution, pretty much the same.
William Murdoch
Reply to MR Cain
Less per capita in USA
Jack Bell
Reply to MR Cain
"They're actually 10th on the list (per Wikipedia)."
I'm comparing apples to apples, using the same list he's using.
MR Cain
Reply to Jack Bell
Try another source; comparing it to Guatemela nothing to be proud of/
David Amos
Reply to Jimmy Cochrane
Amen
Mark Atkinson
The RCMP are awful at finding these cars, they just wait for your insurance to cover it.
A month ago, 3 people stole my girlfriend's car at 5am, they came back at 7am and stole my jeep, I called RCMP at 8am, they showed up at 10am, and found the 3 of them in my girlfriend's car in saint antoine at 11:30. They have them on good video stealing both cars, found them all in one of the cars, and stuff from my jeep was with them in the car they were found in, but yet for some reason the police haven't gotten the location of my jeep out of them? What more evidence do you need, caught red handed and on tape and in custody.
Clive Gibbons
Reply to Mark Atkinson
Kent County thieves are not a sophisticated bunch. How were they able
to steal these vehicles so easily?
Lou Bell
Reply to Mark Atkinson
If they won't tell , then they won't tell . Not like it's written on the back of their hands.
William Murdoch
Reply to Clive Gibbons
Most likely keys were in the vehicle and more likely keys were in the ignition. Now you Mounties - get to work !
Clive Gibbons
Reply to William Murdoch
Not saying this is the case in this instance, but more than once, I've heard that this is why it's happening. Crimes of opportunity.
Rosco holt
Reply to Mark Atkinson
It's pretty much any crime. Your lucky they showed up at all. When I called them they take approx. 4 hours to show up everytime. At night it's worst.
MR Cain
Reply to Rosco holt
I suspect if there is no emergency, the time lag is not a big deal.
William Murdoch
Reply to Clive Gibbons
I know that is the case most times in NB.
MR Cain
Reply to Mark Atkinson
Maybe they should use more physical interrogation techniques. Doesn't take long to get rid of a car; just drive it into a river if it hasn't left the province. Your story sounds like a joy ride and suspect you know them too.
Mark Atkinson
Reply to William Murdoch
The broke in to the civic I assume because it's not their first rodeo with that model, then found my jeep keys in her glove box ( I know, learned my lesson there)
Mark Atkinson
Reply to Rosco holt
I did have to call back a second time at 9:45 then they were right there
David Amos
Reply to Mark Atkinson
I wonder how common your story is
Albert Wade
There is little consequence for crime. Even if you track your vehicle it seems police have little time to bother with it. Take things into your own hands and the police and courts will make an example of you.
Jack Bell
Reply to Albert Wade
Funny how the police have all the free time in the world to go after people doing the polices job for them, but never enough time to go after criminals.
Tim Lingley
Reply to Jack Bell
Are you suggesting that vigilante justice is ok??
Jack Bell
Reply to Tim Lingley
Are you suggesting that ignoring a problem until people feel they have to take matters into their own hands is ok???
Tim Lingley
Reply to Jack Bell
I'm making no such suggestion, but you should know that our Charter of Rights and Freedoms entitles everyone to due process under the law.
Jack Bell
Reply to Tim Lingley
So you must be familiar with provision 7.
"Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of the person and the right not to be deprived thereof except in accordance with the principles of fundamental justice."
Tim Lingley
Reply to Jack Bell
I am. Do you know what the Principles of Fundamental Justice are?
David Amos
Reply to Tim Lingley
I do
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