There’s no secret that cargo theft continues to be a serious problem across the country. That’s why the Ontario Trucking Association (OTA) in partnership with Peel Regional Police, the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC), Crime Stoppers, and CN Police are working to mitigate thefts in Canada’s hotbed for cargo crime.
Earlier this month during Crime Prevention Week, OTA staff attended the launch of two new cargo theft related resources by Peel Regional Police aimed at raising awareness and preventing cargo crime in the Peel Region.
The launch announced the release of two new resources: The Cargo Theft Prevention pamphletandTruck Yard Security Assessmentform. (The free resources can be accessed at the links above at all Peel Regional Police divisions and Crime Prevention Services).
Both will be printed in English, Punjabi, Hindi, and Urdu. The documents aim to educate truck drivers about the signs of cargo theft and assist trucking companies in identifying potential gaps in their personnel, security, or physical infrastructure, which may lead to cargo crime.
A cargo theft reporting databasethat IBC maintains with the Canadian Trucking Alliance found that theft instances throughout Canada have steadily increased in recent years. According to the database, 2016 saw cargo thefts worth $42.3 million. But in 2017, there were $46.2 million reported losses.
“As cargo thefts continue to increase in Peel Region, community stakeholders need to work together through strategic partnerships such as this,” says OTA’s Director of Policy and Industry Awareness Programs, Lak Shoan. “As one of only two divisions in the country dedicated to cargo crime, we applaud the hard work of Peel Region Police considering limited amount of resources at their disposal.”
Copies of the cargo crime resources can be obtained at each police division in the Peel region, or by contacting lak.shoan@ontruck.org