Parliament should require criminal background checks for all port employees, similar to those mandated at Canadian airports, according to the Commons public safety committee.
Blacklock's Reporter says the recommendation comes as MPs address organized crime's role in vehicle thefts, which accounted for $1.5 billion in losses last year.
“Organized crime plays a significant role in vehicle thefts, where the real motivation is financial gain,” stated the committee’s report, Fighting The Phenomenon Of Vehicle Thefts In Canada.
The report proposed granting police services authority to conduct security clearances for Canadian port employees and establishing a centralized database for access cards across all ports.
“Many stolen vehicles are transported through the port environment for international shipment,” the report noted.
It further recommended identifying high-risk port facilities, conducting targeted security assessments, and allowing port authorities to implement enhanced security measures.
Witnesses told the committee that stolen cars are often smuggled out of Canada via Atlantic ports in shipping containers. A March 11 RCMP Public Report On Organized Crime linked employees at international ports to some of the 638 gangs operating nationwide.
Pierre Brochet, president of the Québec Association of Police Directors, emphasized the need for stricter port security during his testimony on February 29.
“Car theft puts a spotlight on the very integrity of Canada’s ports, which are critical infrastructure for our country,” Brochet said.
“We need to take a hard look at the security of our ports, understand how car thieves operate, and take aggressive and decisive action,” he added.
Brochet called for mandatory background checks on all port workers and improvements to hiring practices and security accreditation systems.
The Department of Transport already requires background checks for airport workers under Canadian Aviation Security Regulations. Brochet urged similar measures for ports to protect their integrity.
“This is in addition to reviewing the relevant regulations,” he said.
The report identified Toronto as the top city for vehicle thefts, with 28,389 incidents last year, followed by Montréal (18,248) and Edmonton (6,346).
The most stolen vehicles included the Honda CR-V, Dodge Ram pickup, Ford F-150 pickup, Lexus RX, Toyota Highlander SUV, Honda Civic, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Land Rover Range Rover, GMC Silverado, and Jeep Wrangler.