Government-issued Ford pickups and Toyota Highlanders are popular choices for auto thieves who are targeting the federal motor pool, records show.
An Inquiry Of Ministry tabled in the Commons revealed that 38 government-issue vehicles have been reported stolen from British Columbia to Quebec. The figures, which were first obtained by Blacklock’s Reporter, were tabled at the request of Conservative MP Dave Epp, who asked how many government vehicles had been stolen since 2016.
The document does not give an accurate depiction of how many federal vehicles have been pinched, however, because it does not include incidents at Canada Post or the Department of National Defence, which have the largest fleets.
“National Defence does not centrally track incidents of government vehicles stolen,” said the Inquiry document.
The Mounties, who do keep track of such incidents, said 13 vehicles were stolen including a Chevrolet Malibu which was driven off the parking lot at RCMP National Headquarters in Ottawa.
Toyota Highlanders and Ford pickups were the primary targets of thieves, the Inquiry indicated. Explorers and Econoline vans, Chevrolet pickups, Dodge Caravans and Chargers, and Jeep Wranglers also made the list.
The newly disclosed information comes the same week that Justice Minister and Attorney General Arif Virani suggested a pending crackdown on auto theft.
Mr. Virani said auto theft has become a “pernicious” country-wide issue, one that “requires a national response.”
“It’s about the responsibility of the auto industry. It’s about insurance pieces,” he said. “It’s about looking at the ports. It’s about looking at the CBSA. It’s about, yes, looking at the Criminal Code for which I’m responsible, and I’m very open to looking at the Criminal Code.”
