“I am very happy to announce that the Government of Canada will invest $121 million towards crime prevention and enforcement efforts in cities right across Canada, including right here in the York Region,” said Minister of Public Safety Dominic LeBlanc at a Toronto press conference.
This funding is a response to the rise in illegal guns, increasing gang violence, and a surge in violent auto thefts, which have been named by Interpol as a growing global problem, with Canada identified as a new locus of concern.
The announcement follows a recent statement by Mr. LeBlanc, revealing plans for the government to host a national summit in February focusing on the issue of auto theft.
“[Criminal] groups bring unwanted criminal elements into our communities, resulting in the rash of violent carjackings across the GTA and beyond, the massive increase to auto theft, which we continue to … battle every day,” said Jim MacSween, president of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police and chief of York Regional Police.
“In fact, Interpol recently named Canada a new hotspot on the global wave of auto theft.”
The initiative aims to disrupt and dismantle gun, gang, and drug trafficking networks, thereby enhancing public safety and community well-being.
The collaborative effort will also focus on addressing organized crime’s role in these activities, with additional support for victims of crime and resources for frontline officers. This investment is expected to expand the number of recruits trained at the Ontario Police College, bolstering the police force’s capacity to tackle these complex challenges.
“We’re getting more boots on the ground across the province,” said Ontario Premier Doug Ford, speaking on new Ontario police recruit projections.
“We added 140 new spots in 2023 and will add an additional 420 spots by the end of this year.”
The topic of Canada’s rising auto-theft numbers figured prominently in Wednesday’s House of Commons Question Period, with Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau engaging in a lively debate.
“There is a 38 percent increase in auto theft since [Mr. Trudeau] came into power,” said Mr. Poilievre.
“The penalties are light; our ports are badly managed. Will [Mr. Trudeau] reverse his policies that have led to the crisis in the auto sector instead of having yet another summit?”
“The former Conservative government cut programs, programs to protect civilians, be it auto theft and cutting ports,” Mr. Trudeau shot back.
“So, we are investing to ensure that we can be there to keep Canadians safe and protect Canadians from being victims of crime.”
“[Auto theft] has actually tripled in Toronto,” retorted Mr. Poilievre.
“And it’s up by 100 percent in Montreal after [Mr. Trudeau] brought in catch and release and house arrest for car thieves,” he added.
“We’ve seen successes,” responded Mr. Trudeau. “CBSA agents have intercepted over 1,600 stolen cars last year in 2023. But there’s more to do.”
“In 2015, [former Prime Minister] Stephen Harper presented a budget that had slashed funds for policing, slashed funds for CBSA officers, and slashed funding for Veterans Affairs services. We were there to clean up the mess.”
“Auto thefts are up 300 percent since [Mr. Trudeau] took office,” Mr. Poilievre reiterated.
“His solution is to hold a summit. He held a summit on food prices, food prices went up. He held a summit on housing, housing costs doubled. How much is crime going to rise after all the big wigs go to his summit?”
