A new report has found auto theft trends are down 19 per cent across Canada in the first half of this year, compared to the same time period in 2024.
But the authors of the report say that vigilance is still needed to keep numbers coming down.
It’s an “optimistic trend” seen in provinces across the country, says the report by Équité Association, an organization that works to stop crime on behalf of the Canadian property and casualty insurance industry,
The largest drops were seen in Ontario at 25.9 per cent and Quebec at 22 per cent, said the report.
These provinces experienced the highest rate of theft from 2021 to 2023, when Équité said Canada was facing a “national crisis” in car theft.
“This encouraging trend in decreasing auto theft in the most affected provinces demonstrates the success of collective investments, policies and awareness campaigns,” the report says.
While the drop in auto theft is encouraging, Bryan Gast, vice president of investigative services at Équité Association, said it’s still important for vehicle owners to stay alert and for different levels of government to continue collaborations against auto theft.
“This is not a victimless crime. It’s not just a property crime. The proceeds of these stolen vehicles are funding organized crime and it is affecting the communities in which we live,” he said.
The report also found that the national rate of recovery for stolen vehicles increased to 56 per cent in the first half of this year, up from 53 per cent for the same time period in 2024.
Gast says auto theft in Canada began to spike during the COVID-19 pandemic when a supply chain issue with cars gave organized crime an opportunity to make money.
The majority of the cars that are stolen are personal passenger vehicles, such as pickup trucks, sedans and SUVs, he says.
He credits the drop in theft and the increase in recoveries to collaboration across different levels of government and with agencies in other provinces.
That work included the creation of Ontario’s auto theft team to identify crime hotspots, provincial Ministries of Transportation working to close gaps in vehicle registration processes and over $200 million in federal funding, said the report.
“I’ve never seen this collaboration, even in my 30 years of policing, work together. This is very large scale [with] multiple police services,” Gast said. “Phenomenal results and I think it’s really showing.”
He also said there’s been an increased emphasis to crack down on international organized crime related to auto theft in Canada.
Information on any car that is stolen in Canada is sent to the Canadian Police Information Centre, which then shares that information with Interpol, Gast said.
“What used to go under the radar once it goes international, now it shows it’s stolen. And it affects the criminal’s supply and demand,” he said.
Fighting auto theft in Canada will take more work, report finds
Stephanie Sayer with Toronto Police Services says the city has seen a 34 per cent drop in auto theft cases so far this year, compared to the same period in 2024.
“That’s the result of sustained, focused efforts both within our Service and in collaboration with our policing partners across the GTA,” she said.
A news release from the York Regional Police said that as of June 25, they’ve also seen a 37 per cent decline in auto thefts so far this year compared to the same period last year.
Gast says it’s important for officials and car owners to be aware of the new technologies criminals could use to steal a car.
He recommends people with cars always report suspicious activity, park in a garage space if possible and to always keep windows and doors locked.
Drivers can also use a steering wheel lock, a pedal lock, a tracking device or an aftermarket immobilizer to protect from reprogramming attacks, Gast said.
“You don’t have to do them all. You don’t have to build your vehicle into Fort Knox. But if you could do a few layers, just to make it add more time for the criminal to steal your vehicle,” he said.
