Edmonton, Alberta — A new federal intelligence report from the Criminal Intelligence Service Canada (CISC) has outlined that Quebec and Ontario organized crime members are traveling to steal vehicles from Alberta, increasing overall theft rates.
In 2022 and 2023, Alberta reported 24,588 stolen vehicles compared to Quebec’s 29,705, as indicated by data from Équité Association.
However, as originally reported by Global News, which obtained a copy of the report informally under the Access to Information Act, “once generally regarded as a regional issue affecting mainly Ontario and Quebec, vehicle theft has expanded to Western Canada, with Alberta’s number of vehicle thefts now nearing that of Quebec’s, despite an approximately 45 percent lower population base.”
The report further notes, according to Global News, that “at least some of the groups targeting these western urban areas are believed to be from Ontario and Quebec.”
The CISC report also notes that in addition to being at risk of carjacking, a driver in Western Canada may also “be at risk of extortion and robbery.” The report states that 78 organized crime groups are now stealing vehicles across Canada, including 63 in Quebec and Ontario—a 62 percent increase compared to 2022.
To see more details from the report, click here.
