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The concept of a VIN verification system to place a dent in auto theft crime rings which have grown in energy in recent times looks as if a no brainer however an Oshawa MPP has had little luck prying a dedication out of the provincial authorities regardless of repeated makes an attempt.
With felony tentacles contained in the province’s personal Service Ontario places of work – an alleged scheme involving the registration of pretend VINs by staff at a ServiceOntario location is a part of a Toronto Police investigation into auto theft than has resulted in dozens of arrests and greater than 300 charges – it appeared to Jennifer French like a superb alternative to ask the ruling authorities as soon as once more.
The newest political jousting occurred November 4 on the Legislature ground at Queen’s Park when French rose throughout Query Interval to query her regional neighbour, Durham MPP and Minister for Public and Enterprise Service Supply Todd McCarthy.
Oshawa MPP Jennifer French within the Ontario Legislature
“Why do we still not have a VIN verification system to protect drivers?” French requested, including that whereas the federal government appointed Graham McGregor as Affiliate Minister for Auto Theft to concentrate on enforcement, “there was an auto theft ring operating right under the Premier’s nose.”
“These public employees weren’t smashing in windows or picking locks, they were registering fraudulent VINs to stolen vehicles for resale,” she mentioned. “These fraudulent rings are running rampant and the government has failed to implement any preventative measures. All of their ideas are after the crime. The police want a VIN verification system; other provinces have already implemented a VIN verification system.”
“What’s stopping this authorities from taking actual motion to guard the VIN registry?
McCarthy, in his rebuttal, mentioned ServiceOntario and his authorities take cooperation with legislation enforcement “very seriously,” including there are procedures in place to make sure auto theft is detected and “those responsible are apprehended and prosecuted.”
McCarthy added that regardless of the investigation being led by Toronto Police it was these authorities procedures that led to the workers being caught and warranted the Legislature that the workers will probably be prosecuted
Tom Rakocevic, MPP for Humber River Black Creek in Toronto, then took up the mantle in the course of the debate and challenged new auto theft czar McGregor on the federal government’s actions. “Let’s be perfectly clear. None of the measures that the government has proposed to stop car thefts would have actually prevented the crimes. A helicopter won’t be able to see a fraudulent VIN number. And once you’ve arrested the car thieves and their accomplices, the cars are already long gone.”
“But there’s one obvious solution that the government seems unwilling to try to stop car thieves in their tracks: a VIN verification program that has already been implemented in other provinces.”
McGregor, like McCarthy, responded by taking credit score for the Toronto police investigation, saying it was funded by his authorities, including that the Conservatives have “more police on the streets” with “helicopters on the way.”
“The members opposite talk a big game (but) they vote against all these measures.”
The Toronto Police investigation, dubbed Challenge Thoroughbred, started in July and centered on auto theft rings concerned in VIN fraud in addition to ‘chop shops’ the place stolen autos are ready for cargo abroad.
The 300-plus charges don’t embody the Service Ontario staff allegedly concerned within the fraud – but – however the Toronto cop heading up the investigation mentioned, “they will be.”
Supt. Ron Taverner mentioned the workers are alleged to have knowingly used faux paperwork supplied by the suspects to make it appear like the VINs had been official, after which registered Ontario licence plates to the fraudulent VINs.
The stolen autos had been then bought to unsuspecting consumers at a reduction.
A ‘Chop Shop’
French advised INdurham she has been “frustrated” with the delay in adopting a VIN registry, noting different provinces have the system in place the place a car registration quantity flagged as doubtlessly fraudulent triggers a subsequent step that might forestall shoppers unknowingly shopping for stolen autos.
“We want to know that vehicles on the road are legit,” she mentioned. “I’m all for consequences but we need to make it harder on thieves in the first place.”
She is at a loss to clarify why the Conservative authorities has not put the VIN registry in place, speculating the federal government would possibly imagine it’s “too complicated” or too costly.
“If this is a matter of cost then by all means bring it in-house,” she mentioned. “The cost of having a vehicle stolen and having a system we cannot trust is far worse.”
French mentioned the province seemed into establishing a VIN registry greater than a yr in the past however “no answer has been forthcoming.”
The provincial authorities have as an alternative focussed on enforcement and is planning to create a brand new provincial offence for fraudulent car registrations as a approach to sort out auto theft.
The proposed laws would create a brand new Freeway Visitors Act offence of knowingly offering a false car identification quantity when making use of for a car allow, an offence that might include penalties of as much as $100,000 in fines, as much as six months in jail, and driver’s licence or car allow suspensions.
The announcement from provincial Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkoria got here on the identical day that Toronto police introduced the outcomes of Challenge Thoroughbred and the alleged involvement of the ServiceOntario staff.
Ottawa has additionally obtained concerned within the problem, saying cooperation from the provinces is required to shut loopholes criminals are utilizing to re-sell stolen automobiles, with the federal transportation ministry sending letters to provincial counterparts calling for conferences on guaranteeing document know-how is updated and there may be extra intelligence sharing amongst jurisdictions.
It additionally requires extra interventions at ports, with the Canada Border Companies Company tasked with increasing searches of delivery containers in a bid to cease autos from being despatched abroad.
Based on insurance coverage crime watchdog Équité Affiliation, 28,550 autos had been stolen in Canada within the first half of 2024, with most destined for the Port of Montreal for cargo overseas. There have been 462 autos stolen in Mississauga and Brampton alone in October – a median of 15 per day.
“We’re attracting car thieves here because it’s so easy,” French mentioned. “And it’s only going to get worse.”
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