Brockville & Gananoque Police Services Receive Funding from Province to Combat & Prevent Auto Theft

Total Combined Funding for Both Services is $515,826

Brockville/Gananoque – The Brockville Police Service and the Gananoque Police Service will be receiving combined funding from the Ontario Government of $515,826 to help combat and prevent auto theft, while protecting communities and keeping people and their property safe.

“This is a major financial commitment for our two municipal police services to take aim at auto-theft,” said Leeds-Grenville-Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes MPP, Steve Clark. “I congratulate this joint Brockville-Gananoque Police Services initiative and commend them for tackling this important issue together.”

The funding is part of the government’s new Preventing Auto Thefts (PAT) Grant program designed to support new and enhanced crime-flighting measures that focus on prevention, detection, analysis
and enforcement. In total, 21 police projects across the province are receiving funding for a total investment of $18 million over three years in the fight against auto theft.

“This investment will help our police services crackdown on the growing problem of auto theft, dismantle organized crime networks and get these criminals off the streets and behind bars where they belong,” said Premier Doug Ford. “Our government is making the necessary investments so that our police officers have the tools they need to keep people and communities safe.”

• Funding for police projects will include the following:
• Acquiring specialized resources, including surveillance equipment, software and GPS tracking devices
• Providing specialized training to police investigators to enhance skillsets specific to auto theft
• Creating new units dedicated to auto theft, including cross-jurisdictional units that will serve more than one police service to break down silos and address organized criminal activity
• Expanding data collection and analysis efforts to capture more metrics on the linkage to organized crime and other criminal activity
• Fostering partnerships with organizations such as the Insurance Bureau of Canada and the Canadian Automobile Association, as well as local car dealerships to share information and resources and to help in the development of effective prevention strategies and public education campaigns.

According to the Ontario government, every 14 minutes a vehicle is stolen in Ontario. From 2014 to 2021, there was a 72 percent increase in auto theft across the province and a 14 percent increase in the last year alone. As well, car thefts in Ontario have increased by 31 percent in the first six months of 2023, when compared to the same period in 2022.

“Every 14 minutes a vehicle is stolen in Ontario, and this investment will give police services the tools they need to successfully fight auto theft across the province,” said Solicitor General Michael Kerzner. “With increased efforts and tactics used by thieves and criminal networks, our government is staying one step ahead. This grant will enable police services to work with key partners to enhance knowledge and resources, improve investigations and gather evidence to hold criminals accountable.”

The PAT grant is one of the Ontario government’s community safety grant programs, providing funding opportunities for police services to work with local and provincial partners on safety priorities. All municipal, First Nations police services and Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) contract and non-contract locations were eligible to apply under the PAT grant through a competitive grant application process.