Peterborough Police Service Partners With Équité Association to Combat Auto Theft

The Peterborough Police Service is collaborating with Équité Association to combat and prevent auto thefts in the Peterborough area through Project CLASP.

(left to right) Bryan Gast, VP, Investigative Services, Équité; Chief Stuart Betts, Peterborough Police Service and Betty Ng, Équité. Photo courtesy of Peterborough Police Service.

Équité will aid the police through data and analytics, vehicle identification and coordinated investigations.

To mitigate the risk, Équité recommends a layered approach that includes simple steps like locking doors, installing visible or audible anti-theft devices, using vehicle immobilizers and investing in tracking systems.

“Auto theft has reached crisis levels in this country. Last year, auto theft in Canada cost more than $1.2 billion dollars,” said Bryan Gast, Équité vice president. “This problem cannot be remedied in isolation; it requires this kind of collaborative approach through public and private partnerships to ultimately combat this crime.”

“The Peterborough area is not immune to this type of crime,” said Chief Stuart Betts, Peterborough Police Service. “In 2023, there were 143 vehicles reported stolen.  We are also aware of the trends in other communities and this partnership will help make sure we can spread messages of prevention about auto theft to our own residents.”

Anonymous information can be sent to Peterborough Northumberland Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or online and tipsters may be eligible for a $2,000 cash reward.

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