Automotive News Canada - April 2024 - 12

12
* APRIL 2024
Enlisting electronic bloodhounds
AUTO THEFT
Demand for tracking
systems soars as
car crooks create a
crisis, although the
technology doesn't
keep vehicles
from being stolen
By DAVID KENNEDY
T ORONTO BUREAU CHIEF
CANADA'S AUTO THEFT
crisis has made cold calling customers
a thing of the past for
Richard Cleroux.
The director of sales at Tag
Tracking in Montreal has gone
from pitching the company's
vehicle locating and recovery system
to skeptical dealership managers
to stickhandling a flurry of
requests from retailers desperate
to get the technology
in front
of buyers.
Cleroux:
Demand for
Tag Tracking's
vehicle
recovery
system is
" growing,
growing,
growing. "
SUPPLIED
PHOTO
Tag Tracking
booked orders
for more than
25,000 systems
in February,
Cleroux said,
the same month
that industry
stakeholders
converged on
Ottawa for a
national summit
on tackling
the high rate of
vehicle thefts.
It's one
example of the
trend that has
pushed dealers, consumers and
insurers toward aftermarket technology
designed to help recover
stolen vehicles, if not prevent
thefts.
In 2023, a car was stolen in
Canada every five minutes, with
two-thirds occurring in Ontario
and Quebec. That's about 70,500
vehicles for the year, a small
increase from already elevated
numbers from 2022, according to
the Équité Association, an insurSPOTLIGHT
ance-crime
organization.
The rate of theft, coinciding
with vehicle supply shortages
brought on by the COVID19
pandemic, has fueled rapid
expansion at Tag Tracking. The
company, which installs its systems
in Ontario and Quebec, has
more than 100 employees. Most
are based in Montreal, where
the company assembles and programs
the equipment.
" It doesn't stop growing, growing,
growing, " Cleroux said.
KEEP THIEVES GUESSING
Tag Tracking's system uses
radio frequency (RF) technology.
Its miniature transmitters use the
same type of signal as FM radio.
" We put between three and
eight in the car, " Cleroux said.
" We don't put the same amount,
so thieves don't know how many
we have. "
The transmitters' appearance
and installers' usual hiding spots
are kept under wraps.
When a driver reports a theft,
Tag traces the signal to the nearest
antenna, or tower. The company
then dispatches a team to pinpoint
exactly where the signal is
coming from.
" Waking up " all the transmitters
in the vehicle narrows the
search, Cleroux said. " It's going
to give us a direction and a volume.
The closer you get, the higher
the sound. "
The recovery teams, are often
led to specific shipping containers
where the transmitting vehicle is
found with other stolen vehicles,
Cleroux said.
CELL PHONE SLEUTHING
RF systems are just one technology
option in the growing
vehicle-tracking space. Cellutrak,
Recovery systems that alert drivers
when their vehicles are stolen
don't stop theft. The " primary
objective " needs to be prevention,
said Geoff Publow, CEO of Myers
Automotive Group.
PHOTO: TAG TRACKING
another company based in
Montreal, gives consumers realtime
vehicle location data that's
precise to within a few metres.
" Our unit is hardwired into
the vehicle and it uses the satellite
cellular networks to communicate, "
said Corinne Fetter,
Cellutrak's vice-president of marketing.
Cellutrak,
a subsidiary of
Israel's Ituran Location and
Control Ltd., uses GPS technology
created for the military that
has been adapted for commercial
purposes.
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Unlike RF technology, which
requires boots on the ground to
locate a stolen vehicle, Cellutrak
allows users to follow their vehicle
through a mobile or web-based
app. It also lets an owner geofence
locations such as a driveway or
workplace. If the vehicle leaves
that area, the user is notified
and can quickly get law enforcement
involved. The system can
also remotely disable the vehicle
starter.
Cellutrak operates a 24/7 theft
line to assist victims and police.
The agents know what police
need to find vehicles and secure
warrants for recovery, giving
law enforcement an edge during
what's often a crime in progress,
Fetter said.
" [Police] usually react pretty
quickly and they appreciate our
systems, " she said.
Cellutrak's system is hardwired
into vehicles in a range of
locations. As with Tag Tracking,
the company doesn't disclose
where. This provides an advantage
over systems built into vehicles,
which thieves know to look
for and disable, Fetter said.
Cellutrak catered mainly to the
commercial-vehicle market but
consumer vehicles have become
a quickly expanding part of its
business, she said.
Cost for the company's hardwired
tracking systems range
from $299 to $700 depending on
the option. There are three choices,
two of which have annual subscription
fees.
Tag Tracking said the cost for
its systems depends on the retailer,
but start at $399. It's a onetime
purchase with seven years
of coverage. The company has
partnered with windshield repair
shops Speedy Glass and Lebeau
Vitres d'autos for installation, in
addition to a growing list of dealerships
in Ontario and Quebec.
To offset some of the cost, both
technology companies noted some
insurers give owners discounts
on their premiums.
COST IS ACCEPTABLE
Consumer uptake for tracking
systems is on the rise despite the
costs.
The past few years have
pushed dealerships and consumers
to toughen up their approach
to theft, said Geoff Publow, CEO
of Myers Automotive Group,
which owns 17 dealerships in the
Ottawa area.
" We've really been exploring
the technological options that we
can offer to the customers, whether
it be advanced vehicle tracking
systems or more theft-deterrent
solutions, " Publow said.
Particularly for vehicles
known to be common targets,
buyers are " appreciative and
When a vehicle owner reports
a theft, Tag Tracking traces the
signal from its system to the
nearest tower, then it dispatches
a team to determine the precise
location. The company booked
orders for more than 25,000
systems in February.
PHOTO: TAG TRACKING
receptive " to options that add
a degree of protection, he said.
Having the equipment installed
at the dealership before owners
take delivery is a bonus, Publow
said, as installers must be careful
to avoid running afoul of factory
warranties.
" We're taking the required
steps to make sure that we're
not going to have any warranty
issues, " he said.
IT TAKES A TEAM
While the
tracking systems
offer some
respite for buyers
- and window
decals
warning prospective
crooks
that the vehicles
will be
traced might
deter some
thefts - the
" primary objective "
needs
to be prevention,
Publow
said. Myers
Automotive
is actively
Publow:
Prevalent
auto theft
has pushed
new-vehicle
dealers and
consumers to
toughen their
approach to
the problem.
SUPPLIED
PHOTO
engaged with one of its local
councillors to help push for a
wider solution.
David Hill, councillor for
Ottawa's Barrhaven West ward
- one of the hardest-hit areas
of the city for auto theft - has
been advocating for private and
public actors to tackle the issue.
" This is not a problem that
one entity in and of itself is
going to be able to solve, " Hill
said. " This is a team sport. "
Tracking is one piece of the
puzzle, yet jurisdictional issues
with law enforcement can sometimes
prevent police from making
recoveries, even when a victim
knows the location of a vehicle,
he said.
The Ottawa Police Service has
officers dedicated to auto theft,
Hill said, and they will continue
to place " appropriate focus " on
the problem.
It's going to take time to
address the wider issue, but by
attending February's national
auto summit, he said, it was
clear the automotive and insurance
industries, as well as governments
at all levels, are coming
together to address the gaps.
- ANC
http://canada.autonews.com/people
Automotive News Canada - April 2024

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