Automotive News Canada - July 2023 - 9

* JULY 2023
9
Stealing tests
dealers' mettle
From sophisticated
security to proactive
parking, they're fighting
thieves and protecting
catalytic converters
By KELLY TAYLOR
WINNIPEG CORRESPONDENT
DEALERS ACROSS CANADA ARE
taking measures to combat theft, whether
it's locking customer cars inside at
night, strategically parking vehicles to
deter catalytic-converter theft or installing
expensive
camera systems
to assist security
staff.
At the
Scottsville
Group, which
owns three stores in Red Deer, Alta.,
and one in Cranbrook, B.C., Dealer
Principal Garrett Scott said theft was
a $75,000-a-year problem until his new
security protocols were put in place.
Over the past five years, Scott has
been installing a high-tech camera system
in all his Red Deer lots that detects
Bleed: .125 "
Safety: n/a
motion and directs the resulting video to
a security guard stationed in a car. The
system allows the guard to dismiss inconsequential
motion, such
as a fluttering shopping
bag, but also allows the
guard to drive quickly
to the scene should
an actual interloper be
detected.
Scott:
Scottsville
Group
BEST PRACTICES
SPOTLIGHT
Scotiabank Lighthouse, 100 Yonge St., 5th
File: 3023008-Automotive JD Power award ad_10.437x7.377-E Workfront#: 3023008
Trim: 10.437 " x 7.377 " Colours: CMYK + PMS 186 +
spent about
$500,000 on
a security
system
at its four
dealerships
to combat a
theft problem
that was
costing
$75,000
a year.
SUPPLIED
PHOTO
Floor, Toronto ON, M5C 2W1
Incidents have been
few, he said, restricted
to occasional smash-andgrab
thefts from customer
vehicles. " We spend
good money on security,so
it's paying off. "
A prime loss was fuel,
he said. " They would lay
under a vehicle, drill a hole in the tank
and then leave. "
" The cameras themselves
were not an effective
deterrent, " Scott
said. " But since our
security guard had that
kind of tool, we have had
very few incidents. "
Scott estimated that
the system cost $500,000
by the time it was complete.
Insurance
companies are
sounding the alarm. In June,
Allstate Insurance Co. of
Canada reported that claims
IN 2022 increased 60 per cent
over 2021 and were up 1,710
per cent since 2018.
PHOTO: ISTOCK.COM
When confronted, trespassers have
tried all sorts of stories, he said, such as
pretending to be an employee attempting
to work after hours, or trying to convince
the security guard that they themselves
were performing security duties.
CATALYTIC CRIME
At Crosby Automotive Group, which
owns four dealerships in southern
Ontario, catalytic-converter thefts have
been a problem, said Dealer Principal
Michael Crosby. He estimates that over
four years, he has lost $50,000 to $60,000 to
converter thieves.
Insertion: June 28, 2023
Deadline: June 28, 2023
Designer: JR
" It's certainly not anything that's new.
It's escalated in the last two or three
years. "
Insurance companies are sounding the
alarm. In June, Allstate Insurance Co.
of Canada reported that in 2022, claims
increased 60 per cent over 2021 and were
Prod: JR
up 1,710 per cent since 2018. In Winnipeg,
police reported 351 thefts in April 2022
alone, while Calgary police reported 3,174
thefts from January to November of 2022.
It's a problem that has captured the
attention of the Motor Vehicle Retailers
of Ontario (MVRO) - representing franchised
auto dealers in the province -
which is making recommendations to the
Ontario Ministry of Transportation.
" Damaged cars needing repairs and
the resultant higher insurance premiums
are becoming major problems for newcar
retailers, " said Frank Notte, director
of government relations at MVRO. " We
believe that working together with government,
law enforcement and other auto
sector stakeholders can put an end to this
costly crime that affects everyone. "
SEE SECURITY PAGE 25
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Automotive News Canada - July 2023

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