Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown has written a letter to Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino urging him to increase inspection resources at all Canadian ports.
Brown listed the statistics in a two-page letter, which shows a significant increase in the number of auto accidents.
Thefts in major cities across Canada. The vast majority of these stolen vehicles are believed to be being shipped overseas in containers from Canadian ports in Montreal, Halifax, and Vancouver.
Brown discussed his letter with Peel Regional Police Chief Nishan Duraiappah at a press conference today.
Brown reminded journalists that when Canadians fly, their carry-on bags are searched and bottles of water, perfume, and hand lotion are confiscated. “Why is it that CBSA can easily identify carry-on luggage with a bottle of water but they could only search 1% of shipping containers at Canadian ports?” he said.
Patrick Brown praised frontline CBSA workers for their efforts but suggested that they be given more resources so that they could do their inspections more effectively.
“There are only 10 officers dedicated to searching containers in Canada. Let that sink in for a moment.” added Brown, “Last year the port of Montreal handled 34,000,000 tons of cargo. That doesn’t include the port of Halifax and the port of Vancouver. We have 13 provinces and territories and only 10 inspectors. That it’s time to step up and protect Canadians.”
Shipping containers, Canadian ports, and the ships that use them, according to Brown, are all part of the supply chain for criminal gangs that steal cars on the streets of Brampton, Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. Brown said, “It’s time we disrupt the supply chain for the criminal element. And put them behind
bars.”
Mayor Brown believes that combating auto theft necessitates a multifaceted approach, collaboration across levels of government, inter-agency coordination, and the ability to think outside the box.
Brown recently launched a pilot program in the City of Brampton. The program includes the distribution of faraday bags to specific city areas. Faraday bags are commonly used to block the radio frequency from wireless keys, which are susceptible to theft by car thieves.
Prabhnoor Kaur