Boomerang tracking launches third annual vehicule theft awareness month
With consumers across Quebec continuing to pay the price for the ongoing problem of vehicle theft, Boomerang Tracking, Canada’s leader in stolen vehicle recovery, is launching the third annual Vehicle Theft Awareness Month in July to provide valuable theft protection information to vehicle owners.
Today’s Professional Thieves Using New Methods
Recent figures released by Statistics Canada show that 125,000 vehicles disappeared in Canada in 2008 – one every four minutes - confirming that vehicle theft remains an expensive crime for every driver on the road.
The rate of vehicle theft in Montreal is 30% higher than the Canadian average, and 50 vehicles a day are stolen from Montreal streets. Even more alarming, the Insurance Bureau of Canada reports that 2 of every 3 vehicles stolen in the Montreal area are not recovered. This is due in large part to the fact that the majority of vehicle theft is the work of professional thieves.
Peter Lambrinakos, Commander of the Service de police de la Ville de Montreal, notes that thieves are using new ways to steal cars. "Certain organizations remove the lock of the vehicle’s door, plug a computer to the engine control module, extract the information of the vehicle, put back the lock and leave the vehicle. With that information in hand, the thieves can easily make a copy of the key and then steal the car whenever they want. Other thieves will look for luxury cars through classified ads on the Internet. They call then the owner for an appointment, do a test-drive with the car, and steal it." concluded Commander Lambrinakos.
Thieves are also targeting SUVs more and more often, according to Marc Moreau, Corporal of National Port Enforcement Teams. “We find a lot of stolen Toyotas, BMWs and Mercedes being loaded into containers which are destined to be exported to South Africa and Western Europe. On average, we are recovering between 80 and 100 vehicles per month” commented Mr. Moreau.
The Reality of Theft
Montreal resident Mireille Alvo recently had her brand new Toyota Matrix stolen only three months after purchasing it. After parking in her workplace lot as usual, she returned to find her parking space empty and her car nowhere to be found. “It was horrible. You feel violated. It is just a car, and that’s the reality, but it’s not just losing the car, it’s losing a sense of trust. I have to continue parking in that lot every day so I had to regain trust in the environment.” she commented.
The Consequences of Theft
While it is true that most insurance policies will cover a vehicle loss, drivers could expect to pay at least $2,500 in out of pocket expenses from a theft in lost vehicle contents, loss of use of vehicle, loss of down payment, potential rental car costs and increases in insurance premiums on a replacement vehicle. The prevalence of vehicle theft and its consequences are real for every driver. “While many drivers might feel like vehicle theft is a problem that will never happen to them, that is unfortunately not always the case,” commented Scott Nilson, General Manager of Boomerang Tracking. “Every driver has a part to play in stopping vehicle theft: it is essential that consumers take a proactive role in protecting themselves. We believe that the more layers of protection a driver uses, the safer their vehicle will be.”
For Ms. Alvo, it was not only the vehicle that she lost. “I had a lot of CDs that were personal to me, made like 10-15 years ago. They can’t be replaced because they were made by people that were in my life back then. It’s a feeling of violation like someone breaking into your home. Getting that trust back is a very hard thing to do.”
The Need for Protection
The Service de police de la Ville de Montreal recommends the following safety tips for the protection of privacy and the prevention of theft:
- Parking in well lit areas
- Locking all doors
- Installing a starter lock and steering wheel lock
- Installing a Boomerang vehicle tracking system
- Equipping your vehicle with a car alarm
- Using an anti-theft marking product
- Leaving no valuables visible in the vehicle, including cell phones, laptops or handbags
In addition, throughout July Boomerang Tracking will update its YouTube channel with the three part testimonial of the Montreal resident who experienced vehicle theft first hand. Part One is viewable today at www.youtube.com/boomerangtracking.
Real results
To date, the Boomerang Tracking devices have aided in the recovery of close to 7,000 vehicles and other assets with an approximate value of $350 million, including incidentals.
To educate consumers about vehicle theft, Boomerang Tracking has published the Keeping Track booklet, a guide to protect vehicles from theft. It includes a review of vehicle theft in Canada and the four methods of protection against theft. A free electronic version is available at www.BoomerangTracking.com/knowledge
