IBC launches Provincial Auto Theft Network program in Newfoundland and Labrador

The Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) announced on Tuesday that it has launched the Provincial Auto Theft Network (PATNET) program in Newfoundland and Labrador.

The two-day PATNET training session in St. John’s, Nfld., which has drawn interest from law enforcement officers from across the province, teaches participants new techniques to investigate vehicle-related crime, IBC said in a statement. These techniques include how to detect the cloning of vehicle identification numbers, the use of salvage, evidence handling and the components of auto-crime search warrants.

“We are delighted to launch this award-winning program in Newfoundland and Labrador,” said Amanda Dean, vice president, Atlantic, IBC, in the statement. “Since PATNET began operating in 2010, it has been an important tool that has successfully helped law enforcement reduce auto theft and fraud across Canada, and it continues to grow.”

Andrew Parsons, Newfoundland and Labrador’s Minister of Justice and Public Safety, said that he is pleased to see this program coming to the province. “This training will better prepare our local law enforcement to deal with auto theft and fraud,” he noted.

Bill Janes, chief of police with the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary, added that “this type of course will be of great assistance to our officers and partners. It will enhance their skills when responding to complaints of insurance fraud and vehicle theft. The program exemplifies the value of sharing information and partnerships between insurers and the law enforcement community.”

Insurance fraud is a serious problem that costs Canadians over $1 billion a year and wastes resources, IBC said in the statement, adding that the insurance industry has “done much to fight crime, fraud and abuse in the system, always with a huge amount of support from the law enforcement community.”

While statistics suggest that auto theft has been on the decline over the past decade, in 2014, there was a 1% increase, with 73,964 vehicles being stolen across Canada that year, according to IBC.