IBC pushing for tougher punishments for auto theft

The Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) is urging federal MPs to support Bill C-343, which would make auto theft a separate offence under the Criminal Code and implement mandatory jail times for repeat offenders.According to the IBC auto theft costs Canadians more than $1 billion a year, and the national rate of theft is 56% higher than 20 years ago. The crime, an IBC release says, rapidly shifting away from being a random act towards organized crime rings, as documented by Statistics Canada and the RCMP. As of 2005, the latest year for which data is available, the province of Manitoba has the highest rate of vehicle theft in the country, according to Statistics Canada. A total of 14,200 motor vehicle thefts occurred in Manitoba, including more than 12,000 in the city of Winnipeg alone. Bill C-343 is an important piece of legislation that could save lives, Rick Dubin, vice president, investigations, IBC, said in a statement.It recognizes that auto theft is a violent offence and should be treated as such.Currently, auto theft falls under theft of property crime. Bill C-343 is currently before the House of Commons for second reading.