Steep rise in reports of stolen vehicles in Montreal
Montreal police have released new statistics showing a steep increase in car thefts in recent years.
Police say there were 9,591 vehicles reported stolen in 2022, which is double the number in 2020.
Fernando Pinzon is all too familiar with the crime.
In June 2021, he says his Honda CRV was stolen right outside of his LaSalle home.
"A lot of shock, a lot of anger. A bit of fear as well because it violates your property, your security," Pinzon said of the feelings at the time.
He said Montreal police eventually tracked it down to a shipping container in the Port of Montreal. He got the car back, but in August, just two months later, it was stolen again.
"We didn’t think it would happen again, to be honest," he said.
The most recent stats from Montreal police show car thefts have taken a major jump.
For 5 years, starting in 2016 when there were 4,411 cars reported stolen, the number of stolen vehicles was relatively stable but it jumped to 43 per cent in 2021. In that year, 6,527 vehicles were reportedly stolen.
STOLEN VEHICLE REPORTS IN MONTREAL
Can't see the chart? Click here
Montreal police say the majority of thefts end up with cars being shipped out.. given Montreal’s proximity to the port.
It's hardly a surprise for Charles Rabbat, who works for Sherlock Antitheft Marking Inc.
"It’s much more lucrative. They can get $15-20,000 dollars more for a luxury car in the U.S. when they land anywhere in eastern Europe," Rabbat said.
He recommended drivers should invest in at least four layers of protection — from a steering wheel bar to engraving their vehicle.
He also advised making sure drivers have an onboard diagnostic (OBD) lock.
"It’s very, very popular because they cannot have access to your computer directly, they cannot put back the mileage. They cannot copy your keys without getting into your computer," he said.
Given the price of cars, it’s unlikely the number of thefts will drop anytime soon.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
New one-and-done therapy can help curb severe COVID-19 infection: Canadian-led study
A Canadian-led study of a new potential antiviral therapy shows a single dose can help cut the risk of hospitalization and death from COVID-19.

Are video games good for kids' brains or bad for them? New research suggests the answer is 'neither'
A small new study has found that neither the frequency of daily gaming reported by pre-teen children nor the specific video game genres they chose to play were linked with their performance on a standardized cognitive tests.
Canada deploys military assessment team to Turkiye after earthquake
Canada deployed a disaster assessment team to Turkey on Wednesday in the wake of a devastating earthquake that's killed thousands, as the federal government faced criticism that the window to help with rescue efforts was closing.
'It was a nightmare': 2 children dead, driver charged after city bus crashes into Laval daycare
Two four-year-old children are dead and a man has been charged with first-degree murder after a driver crashed a city bus into a daycare in Laval, Que. Wednesday morning. The driver, 51-year-old Pierre Ny St-Amand, was arrested at the scene and faces two counts of first-degree murder and several other charges.
Alphabet shares dive after Google AI chatbot Bard flubs answer in ad
Alphabet Inc. lost US$100 billion in market value on Wednesday after its new chatbot shared inaccurate information in a promotional video and a company event failed to dazzle, feeding worries that the Google parent is losing ground to rival Microsoft.
opinion | Before you do your taxes, take note of these tax credits and deductions you may not have known about
Many Canadians are experiencing strains caused by the increased cost of living and inflation. In his exclusive column for CTVNews.ca, contributor Christopher Liew shares some of the top credits and deductions that you may be able to claim on your income tax return to help you save money.
Indigo payment systems, online store down after 'cybersecurity incident'
Indigo's payment systems and online store are down after a 'cybersecurity incident,' the company announced on Wednesday evening.
Netflix Canada begins password sharing crackdown
Netflix Canada is rolling out its long-anticipated plans to crack down on password sharing, saying it will begin notifying Canadian users today by email about limitations.
Tyre Nichols documents: Officer never explained stop to him
The officer who pulled Tyre Nichols from his car before police fatally beat him never explained why he was being stopped, newly released documents show, and emerging reports from Memphis residents suggest that was common.