Records show the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) assigned 207 staff to criminal investigations nationwide last year, according to Blacklock’s Reporter. “The number of investigators is limited,” said the CBSA in a report. It said CBSA agents were assigned to track fugitives, gun smugglers, money launderers, auto thieves and other criminals. “Given the high number of leads received relative to the number of investigators available to conduct investigations, the program is only able to open a limited number of cases at a given time,” said the CBSA. The program had a $35.7 million annual budget. The CBSA did not disclose how many criminals were intercepted. Of the 207 agents, 48 of them were assigned to the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), which is the auto theft capital of Canada. It suggested auto smugglers were not a priority. “Managers are required to focus the vast majority of activities on major and complex cases which deal with multiple fraud or crime schemes, multiple entities, or that go beyond a single incident rather than port prosecution cases which are single or isolated incidents or cases that arise at a port of entry,” it said. Other investigators numbered 46 in Quebec including the Port of Montreal, 39 in British Columbia including the Port of Vancouver, 24 to cover all Prairie land crossings, 23 in southern Ontario including the Windsor-Detroit crossing, 14 in Atlantic Canada including the Port of Halifax and 12 in northern Ontario. “There are areas for improvement,” it said. Port prosecutions accounted for 15% of criminal investigations in the GTA, 37% in Atlantic Canada, 39% in Quebec and 53% in Vancouver. Independent MP Kevin Vuong (Spadina-Fort York, ON) pointed out in Toronto, auto thefts have increased by 25% and $500 million worth of vehicles were stolen last year. “Because the government was asleep at the wheel, our cities are not only less safe, experts are projecting car insurance premiums could be going up by as much as 25%,” said Vuong. “On average, that is an extra $600 a year that people cannot afford.”While auto theft summits make for useful photo-ops, Vuong said what people need is action. Cabinet hosted a national summit on combating auto theft with police and insurers on February 8. “Combating auto theft requires a whole-of-society effort,” said cabinet.Records published on February 1 showed Canadian government-issued Ford pickup trucks and Toyota Highlanders were the most popular among auto thieves targeting the federal motor pool. READ MORE: Scores of Canadian government vehicles stolen“I am hearing about this in British Columbia; I am hearing about this at the Port of Halifax,” said Justice Minister and Attorney General Arif Virani. “This is truly a national issue that requires a national response.”
Records show the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) assigned 207 staff to criminal investigations nationwide last year, according to Blacklock’s Reporter. “The number of investigators is limited,” said the CBSA in a report. It said CBSA agents were assigned to track fugitives, gun smugglers, money launderers, auto thieves and other criminals. “Given the high number of leads received relative to the number of investigators available to conduct investigations, the program is only able to open a limited number of cases at a given time,” said the CBSA. The program had a $35.7 million annual budget. The CBSA did not disclose how many criminals were intercepted. Of the 207 agents, 48 of them were assigned to the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), which is the auto theft capital of Canada. It suggested auto smugglers were not a priority. “Managers are required to focus the vast majority of activities on major and complex cases which deal with multiple fraud or crime schemes, multiple entities, or that go beyond a single incident rather than port prosecution cases which are single or isolated incidents or cases that arise at a port of entry,” it said. Other investigators numbered 46 in Quebec including the Port of Montreal, 39 in British Columbia including the Port of Vancouver, 24 to cover all Prairie land crossings, 23 in southern Ontario including the Windsor-Detroit crossing, 14 in Atlantic Canada including the Port of Halifax and 12 in northern Ontario. “There are areas for improvement,” it said. Port prosecutions accounted for 15% of criminal investigations in the GTA, 37% in Atlantic Canada, 39% in Quebec and 53% in Vancouver. Independent MP Kevin Vuong (Spadina-Fort York, ON) pointed out in Toronto, auto thefts have increased by 25% and $500 million worth of vehicles were stolen last year. “Because the government was asleep at the wheel, our cities are not only less safe, experts are projecting car insurance premiums could be going up by as much as 25%,” said Vuong. “On average, that is an extra $600 a year that people cannot afford.”While auto theft summits make for useful photo-ops, Vuong said what people need is action. Cabinet hosted a national summit on combating auto theft with police and insurers on February 8. “Combating auto theft requires a whole-of-society effort,” said cabinet.Records published on February 1 showed Canadian government-issued Ford pickup trucks and Toyota Highlanders were the most popular among auto thieves targeting the federal motor pool. READ MORE: Scores of Canadian government vehicles stolen“I am hearing about this in British Columbia; I am hearing about this at the Port of Halifax,” said Justice Minister and Attorney General Arif Virani. “This is truly a national issue that requires a national response.”
