Auto-Theft in Manitoba > Solutions
Manitoba has taken a multi-pronged approach to decrease the theft rate.
The long-term core solution is immobilizer laws and incentives to protect high-risk vehicles. Monitoring and enforcement help to bring the theft rate under control as the immobilizer program grows. Other solutions are increased monitoring of auto theft and encouraging our young people to do better things with their lives.
Immobilizer laws and incentives
Immobilizers are Manitoba’s best defence against auto theft. Approved immobilizers became mandatory for Most-at-Risk vehicles under Manitoba law in September 2007. As theft patterns have shifted, the list of Most-at-Risk vehicles has been expanded accordingly.
Properly installed, approved immobilizers disable three electrical systems, making the vehicle almost impossible to steal without the owner’s special transponder, which may be located in a fob or right in the key. In Canada and around the world, immobilizers have proven to be the surest, fastest and simplest way to bring auto theft under control.
Immobilizer assistance program
In 2005 Manitoba Public Insurance announced a bold new plan to theft-proof up to 90 per cent of Winnipeg vehicles within five years. The program rewards vehicle owners who help to reduce auto theft in Manitoba by protecting their vehicles with approved immobilizers.
Manitoba Public Insurance will pay the entire cost of a standard aftermarket installation for any Most-at-Risk vehicle. The owner is only responsible for any additional costs for work related to the installation, and financing for these costs is available with no interest.
Other vehicle owners are also eligible for financial assistance.
After the immobilizer is installed, the owner receives an annual insurance discount immediately and every year afterward.
Find out more about the immobilizer assistance program for Most-at-Risk vehicles and other vehicles, and whether your vehicle needs an immobilizer.
Monitoring and enforcement
The Winnipeg Auto Theft Suppression Strategy is a partnership between Manitoba Public Insurance, Manitoba Justice and the Winnipeg Police Service that targets chronic and repeat young offenders.
This strict monitoring and curfew program includes mandatory daily interviews for the worst offenders and checks as frequent as every three hours for the highest level offenders when not incarcerated.
If participants fail to comply, the province and police will move immediately to arrest them and seek their incarceration from the courts.
The Winnipeg Police Service plays a key role in dealing with youth at all levels, particularly those at highest risk.
The program has been focused on Winnipeg, where more than 80 per cent of auto thefts were occurring. As of 2011, thefts in Winnipeg represented 72 per cent of provincial thefts.
Manitoba Public Insurance provides funding to hire corrections staff and cover operating costs on top of existing investments by the Winnipeg Police Service and Manitoba Justice.
WATSS was designed to clamp down on the theft problem until the use of immobilizers became more widespread.
Other enforcement programs
To assist law enforcement in their efforts, we also:
- coordinate the Citizens on Patrol Program (COPP), which mobilizes community volunteers to be additional eyes and ears for local police;
- provide more than $600,000 in annual funding to help the Winnipeg Police Service dedicate a team of seven investigators to auto theft;
- provide over $100,000 in annual funding for two Crown prosecutors to ensure that auto thieves are held accountable in the courts; and
- provide additional resources for auto theft investigation in partnership with the RCMP, the City of Brandon Police and other municipal police.
Other Solutions
Community partners are working together to address the auto theft problem from a number of angles, prevention awareness, better choices for young people, better laws and recovery from thieves.
Prevention awareness
In partnership with shopping malls and parking lot operators, Manitoba Public Insurance has posted 2,500 signs throughout Manitoba reminding drivers to lock their vehicles, use anti-theft devices and ensure their valuables are out of sight. Every year we also conduct thousands of vehicle audits in parking lots to alert drivers parking in at-risk zones that they have not taken the proper precautions to protect their property.
Better choices
Our multi-pronged approach includes support for programs that encourage young people to stay away from auto theft. We work with schools in the Choices program to make youth aware of the consequences of auto theft.
Better laws
Along with several national stakeholders, Manitoba is seeking changes to the Criminal Code of Canada and the Youth Criminal Justice Act. We also advocate changes to the Canada Border Services Act to restrict the movement of stolen vehicles.
Recovery from thieves
In some situations, we can obtain judgments against people convicted of auto theft or auto theft related offences to recover damages. We enforce the judgments by attaching liens on their assets or garnishing their wages. We can also prevent them from obtaining driver’s licences anywhere in Canada until they begin to repay their debt. In the case of young offenders, we have to wait until the individual turns 18 before obtaining and enforcing the judgment. However, all auto thieves, whether they are young offenders or adults, are pursued vigorously.
