Meeting with Associate Minister for Auto Thefts

Newsletter: August 23, 2024

The significant event this week was the Association of Municipalities of Ontario conference, which allowed for three days of focused discussion and engagement on topics of shared relevance.  I had the opportunity to meet with the Associate Minister for Auto Thefts, Graham McGregor where we discussed the need for a centralized federal lead (Public Safety), as this is a national/international problem that requires federal coordination and intelligence support, the importance of technological screening investments through CBSA at the Montreal port and the need for a follow-up site visit in the next few months, police college capacity requirements and the importance of improving our administrative processes such as resale paperwork, bills of lading, and reVINning (the process of ensuring that damaged VINs are replaced legally and with a registration).  Although the vast majority of vehicle thefts in this area end up being shipped out of Canada, there remains a large black market for vehicle resale in North America and that market will likely grow as further restrictions on the transnational shipping options are put into place.  Administrative processes (like reVINning) have had very positive impacts in the Western Provinces.  I will be following up the core aspects of this meeting with the Police Services Board and will likely aim to connect with the minister again in the fall for an engagement with the public safety.