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FRIDAY • February 16 • 2024
Hill makes sure Barrhaven’s voice heard at auto theft summit
Barrhaven West Councillor and Ottawa Police Chief Eric Stubbs took part in the National Summit on Combatting Auto Theft, which took place Thurs. Feb. 8 in Ottawa. The event, according to Hill, “is an opportunity to foster collaboration and pave way for action. As a city representative, I want to ensure that Ottawa, including Barrhaven, have their voices heard.” The stolen vehicle problem that has been a problem across Canada is continuing to grow in Ottawa. In the city, Barrhaven leads all communities and areas in stolen vehicles. While in the last issue of the Barrhaven Independent it was reported that there were an average of five stolen vehicles in Ottawa each day, early figures for the first month of 2024 indicate that five has grown to six. “Barrhaven is at the forefront of Ottawa’s auto theft epidemic,” said Hill. “Eighteen hundred-plus vehicles were stolen, contributing to $700 million-plus of losses in Ontario. “We need all three levels of government to work together to improve port security, require technology to improve port security, require technology solutions from industry, and get more police presence in our suburbs.” The summit featured leaders from all three leaders of government from across the
country. Discussions held at the summit focused on finding solutions to the growing challenge of auto theft in Canada. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his Liberal Government is “considering” tougher punishments against car thieves. “Cracking down on auto theft means bringing law enforcement, border services, port authorities, carmakers and insurance companies together,” the Prime Minister said. He also took a shot at his political rival Conservative leader and former local MP Pierre Poilievre, saying that the car theft problem won’t be solved with a catchy slogan and a two-minute video. Consensus in the room was that it will take all levels of government and other organizations in all provinces to combat the problem. “Addressing this growing problem requires cooperation and actions from across all levels of government, law enforcement and industry. Ongoing collaboration is vital to protect the threat to the safety of Canadians resulting from vehicle thefts. Our government will leverage our existing relationships with industry stakeholders to raise awareness and take concrete actions to help stamp out this scourge,” said FrançoisPhilippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and
Barrhaven West Councillor David Hill and Ottawa Police Chief Eric Stubbs took part in the National Summit on Combatting Auto Theft Feb. 8 in Ottawa. (X photo)
Industry. Auto theft is impacting thousands of Canadian households every year, particularly in our urban centres. It increasingly involves organized crime groups, who are using the proceeds of those thefts to fund other illegal activities. Today’s Summit advanced work to keep Canadians safe and prevent auto theft from happening, to recover vehicles that have been stolen, and to ensure the perpetrators
of these crimes are brought to justice. Coordinating efforts across the country, the Government of Canada is taking immediate actions to combat auto theft by: - Increasing the capacity of the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) by investing $28 million to conduct more investigations and examinations of stolen vehicles, as well as enhance collaboration on investigations and intel-
ligence sharing with partners across Canada and internationally. This includes exploring detection technology solutions, and exploring the use of advanced analytical tools, such as artificial intelligence. - Pursuing all avenues to ban devices used to steal vehicles by copying the wireless signals for remote keyless entry, such as the Flipper Zero, which would allow for the removal of those devices
from the Canadian marketplace through collaboration with law enforcement agencies. These actions build on the recent federal investment of $121 million to help prevent gun and gang violence in Ontario, including organized crime and auto theft, through the Initiative to take Action Against Gun and Gang Violence (ITAAGGV).
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