Vehicle thefts in city spike in first quarter
Motor vehicle thefts have risen in Fredericton among a larger problem across Canada.
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After a brief reprieve in car thefts in Fredericton recently, the latest stats show a massive spike once again.
According to the latest data from the Fredericton Police Force, there were 38 reports of vehicle thefts in the first three months of the year – a 36 per cent increase compared to the first three months of 2023.
That comes after a drop in vehicle thefts seen in the last three months of last year, when the 67 instances reported during that time actually marked a seven per cent decrease over the same three months the year previous.
But overall, it’s part of an overall upward trend in the crime.
In 2023, there were a total of 253 vehicle thefts in Fredericton, a jump from 224 in 2022, and from 123 thefts in 2021.
In February, the federal government held a national summit with the focus on combatting auto thefts. Some of the government’s proposals included investing $28 million to the Canada Border Service Agency to conduct more investigations into stolen vehicles.
One common trend in these thefts has been vehicles being taken, and then shipped overseas to Africa and the Middle East, but Fredericton police spokesperson Sonya Gilks said in Fredericton, as elsewhere in New Brunswick, most vehicles are stolen to commit other crimes.
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