After multiple break-ins, Montrealer invests thousands into anti-theft tech for his Jeep

Car thefts are becoming increasingly common and complex across Canada, especially in Quebec.

While the perpetrators have found a number of ways to steal cars, one Montrealer experienced a particularly unusual method: would-be thieves ripped off a portion of his Jeep Wrangler's roof. 

The Pointe St. Charles resident requested not to share his name for fear of reprisal. He says his car has been broken into a total of four times, and he fears he's being targeted.

"We had three attempts on our vehicle in less than 48 hours," he told CTV News.

"My wife was definitely scared, worried."

According to the latest data, vehicle theft is skyrocketing in Quebec. In 2022, it rose 50 per cent compared to the previous year.

"In terms of the cost for insurers, that's an increase of 200 per cent," said Pierre Babinsky, director of communications with the Insurance Bureau of Canada.

That translates to $1.2 billion, according to the bureau. It's the first time claims for stolen vehicles have exceeded the billion-dollar mark.

And whether you're the victim of car theft or not, insurance premiums are going up.

"It could be 10 per cent of your premium, depending on your policy, that you're paying, just because there are so many cars being stolen," Babinsky explained.

The Canadian government held a summit on vehicle theft on Thursday, and a national action plan is set to be released this winter.

André Durocher, spokesperson for CAA Quebec, expects resources will be reallocated to fight this type of crime.

"There will be different squads that will be formed involving Montreal police, Sûreté du Québec, Longueuil, Laval, to work together and coordinate in order to fight this, not at the lowest level, but at the highest level," he said.

George Iny, director of the Automobile Protection Association, said the summit will be beneficial, but estimates it will take at least 24 months to see substantial reductions.

It starts with making cars harder to steal, he said: "So what we need is a new modern theft standard that makes the vehicles a little bit harder to steal coming out of the factory."

Until then, Iny said vehicle owners can take protective steps like hiring a professional company to track your car or parking inside whenever possible.

That's exactly what our unnamed Montreal Jeep owner is doing. He's installed $2,500 worth of anti-theft deterrents, and will no longer take any chances by parking on the street.