CBUT - Thursday, May 23, 2024 - 09:00 a.m. (ET) - Segment #2

>>> Before all that, here's the cbc vancouver newsroom. >> Thanks, amy. Rain has helped dampen a wild fire burning near fort nelson and northern rockies regional municipal mayor rob fraser is hoping to get evacuees home by early next week. . The first nations health authority has confirm questioned it's been the victim of a cyber security attack. This following recent cyber attacks on london drugs and the B.C. government. And advocates on the downtown east side are speaking up after al pedestrian was hit by a police vehicle earlier this week. Now with a look at traffic and wet wither, here's charlie. >> The slowest stretch in the region is in port coquitlum. Mary hill bypass is sluggish from kingsway avenue to shaughnessy street because of a crash at pitt river road. Delta northbound flow on highway 91 is starting to build right now. This morning weather wiles expect to seal sunny skies before it shifts to a mix of sun and cloud near noon. Temperatures are set to hit a high of 18 and cool to a low of 0. If you see anything on the roads we shalled know about text us. I'm back in about 10 minute. >> Amy: thank you, charlie. It is may 23rd. 6:1 # here in vancouver. Currently sitting at 10 degrees. As autoow he theft continues to rise in canada, the federal government on monday announced a new set of measures aimed at curbing the problem. The new national action plan aims to deter auto thieves by boosting inspection at ports and raising criminal penalties among other charges. For more we've reached stephanie walcraft a freelance auto journalist. >> Good morning, thank you. >> Amy: so let me he ask you, how big of a problem is auto theft in canada right now? >> It gotten to be quite a serious problem. And the data that I have to explain that is it quite eastern centric and that's because we have multi national enormous organized crime rings operating in canada right now and right now they're targeted more towards the east because they're shipping cars out from eastern port like montreal and halifax to resell them in africa and the middle east for huge profit. But that's not to say it not a problem across the country can. Anywhere the thieves could load cars on to a shipping container and get them to a port. This can be a potentially very serious problem and frankly that's all over canada. But in terms of demonstrating this with numbers, in quebec in the last 2 to 3 years auto theft has increased by 50%. In ontario by 35%. And in the greater toronto area where I am we're looking at a 100% increase over the last 2 to years alone. So that's doubled. >> Amy: that's incredible, but why are we seeing so many thefts now ex-i am guess how did we get to this point? >> Well, a lot of it is just because stealing a car has gotten a lot easier. And that's got to do with the technology in the vehicles. We all love the convenience of modern vehicles where we have a key fob and we can remotely lock and unlock the car and get into it and start it. But key fobs use a radio signal. That's given these a new avenue to be able to gain access. And you can find devices online, signal rerepeaters. They're actually easy to get. You can order them on amazon. One of the measures in the federal government's action plan, which we'll talk about in a minute, that they've added here s to address how easy those are to get with added penalties for possessing and redistributing these devices. But how they work is a thief can stand outside your house and if your key fob -- even if it's inside your home is anywhere near where you've parked your car, then the thief activates this device. It picks up the signal from the key fob. It amplifies it and that gives them access to open the door and start the vehicle and drive away. The whole thing takes less than 30 seconds. It's wild. >> Amy: that is incredible. I am guess as you mentioned, what can you tell us about the federal government's sort of action plan measurements that were announced on monday? >> Yeah. So one element of it is, as I mentioned, stricter penalties for having the signal receivers. Another aspect to it is they're increasing criminal penalties for people that are involved in these organizations. And frankly, I don't know how much of a difference that's gonna make when somebody's already down the rabbit hole of being part of a multi national organized crime ring are. I don't know that going to jail for a couple more years will really did he he ter them. It might get some of the kingpins off the street a little bit longer if they he happen to get caught, but I don't know that it going to make a hunl difference t measures that I think will make a difference is there's a lot of money in that action plan to improve security and surveillance at our ports. And that is where we have the potential to really cut off this

stream of income for these multi national organizeded crime rings that are stealing vehicles and reselling them for huge profits in other markets. If we can get to the point where those organizations can't get our cars out of the country to begin with, or it becomes so difficult to do that, it not making them money anymore, they're gonna move on to somewhere elsewhere it is easier, and that's too bad for that other place, but that's what we want to seep he here in canada. >> Amy: okay. And this comes month after political pressure. In your view, will it be enough to address or even curb the problem? >> It could be. Certainly I think that itch elementinging strong strategies tell ports is the most important part of that. It could come down to the funding, just being able to make a difference in how port authorities are able to oversee what gets put on boats in shipping containers, right? If you and I go to an airport our luggage is scanned before we can get on the plane. Why couldn't we have shipping containers scanned before they get on the boat to make sure the people that are putting them on those boats have put in them what they've said they've put in them. It seems like a simple concept. It much more complicated in real life, but that's the sort of thing I think the government needs to really be looking at. That level of scrutiny, to make sure that we cut off the source of income. Because that's the only thing that's really going to deter these massive crime rings that are operating. >> Amy: and just in the minute that we've been talking to you in the back of my mind I'm going through, like, how easy it would be to steal my car, I guess. But, you know, for car owners, you know, do you have any anti-theft advice that you could give them? Just how they can try and protect their own vehicle. >> For sure. There are a few things you can do. One is as we were saying to make sure you put your key fob far away from where you park your vehicle in your home. Some people invest in these boxes for key fobs. They're small interrupters in a sense. You can put them in there and then the signal repeaters don't work. If you don't want to put your keel fob somewhere else in the house that might be something up need to consider can, but you will don't need to do that. If you just carry your key fob further into your house, like, your front door and walk it back to yourl kitchen at the end of the day. Thamz enough of a sdabs distance to make sure these signal repeaters don't work. Also if you have a garage, use it and lock it. Ef layer of protection will deter a thief. They don't want to be caught. They're not looking for trouble. Them he just want your car. If they don't see it, it's off sight, out of mind. And anything that's another layer of barrier to prevent them from accessing your car is going to be -- decrease the chances that you'll be targeted. Some people are installing cameras on their houses, ring cameras, security cameras. Insurance companies like these because then you have proof that your car has been stolen and that helpses if you do need to go and make a claim. But it not going to deter. They're all trained now on how to make sure they know how to spot the cameras and make sure they're not identifiable on the footage. So it not going to do much. But there's one more thing. I'm not sure if you remember. Do you remember the club. [Laughter] it making a come back. >> Amy: really. >> Yeah, just this brute force thing people can do. They're big and bulky and nobody likes using them, but thieves don't like dealing with them either. That's why they work. If there's a silly club on the steering wheel, that's going to be enough to make them go oh , this is gonna take me too long, I'm going to move on. So it could save your car and unfortunately cost your neighbour's, but you'll still have your car in your driveway. >> Amy: I think I have a club somewhere deep in my basement. I may have to dig that out. [Laughter] thanks so much for joining us today, stephanie. Much appreciates. >> My pleasure. >> Amy: stephanie wallcraft is a freelance auto journalist. [ ] 6:19 and that means it is time for your wake up song. Now, it been about 30 years since sarah McLAUGHLIN released fumbling towards ecstasy. They could have thrown an anniversary party for the multi platinum album, but why not throw an entire tour? That is exactly what sarah is doing. And she's kicking off a 30-city concert series tonight. Right here in vancouver. Sarah promises she'll play the entire album at every show, plus plenty of her other biggest hits from "fumbling towards ecstasy" here's "possession".

[ ] [ ] >> Amy: "possession" by sarah McLAUGHLIN. Now the business news. Warning about a risk to finances. What are the details on that? >> It says high interest rates are a critical threat to banks. So in its annual risk outlook the office of the superintendent of financial institutions says high interest rates continue to pressure home owners and businesses. So higher interest rates allow them to charge more on loans. More borrowers are setting aside money for potential loan losses. And with people renewing mortgages at even higher rates, the regulator expects even more people to default. There's a chaps the bank of canada will start cutting interest rates in the month ahead, but it can could take years before borrowers see meaningful rehe lease. Economists expect rates to fall slowly. And other top risks include risks from commercial real estate lentic, corporate and commercial debt, and social and political conflict. So the regulator says a major event could disrupt markets and create instability for institutions, and it says the polarizing effect of geopolitical issues has the potential to make canadian institutions a target for politically motivated attacks. >> Amy: what is behind that? >> Well, high prices. [Laughter] >> Amy: okay. >> Yeah. That's forcing people to hold on to their old ones for longer. The avrmg new vehicle selling price was just over $45,000 U.S. last month. But the growth including computer chips. Todd campo is with s&p global mobility which tracks vehicle data. >> Right now the price is partially staying high. Looking at the overall combined cost of buying a vehicle, it's the second biggest purchase from most households. With interest rates we were used to, you know, 0, 2, 3% interest rates and now we're seeing that 7, 8, 9, 10, somewhere in that range. And I think not only is the sticker price of the vehicle staying high, but the fact that interest on top of that, it making the monthly fee higher over all. >> Now, people are also holding on to that I recall cars longer to see if they want to buy an electric or hybrid vehicle. Many are worried about the charging network, if they can travel around without worrying about running out of battery are. Vehicles are also made better these days so they're lasting longer. And about 70% of vehicles on the road are 6 years or more old so they usually don't have the manufacturing warranty. That's actually good for the autoshop business. >> Amy: all right. We'll have to leave it there for now, but we'll check back in with you in an hour. Thank you. >> Okay, thanks, amy. >> Amy: we'll have the latest business news at 7:30 with the latest traffic though here's -- or latest traffic, here is charlie cho. >> All right, amy. In port coquitlum a crash on the mary hill bypass at pitt river road has it sluggish from kingsway avenue to shaughnessy street. In surrey westbound volume along king george boulevard very heavy between 132nd street and highway 17. Looking pretty sunny right now in downtown. It's set to shift to a mix of sun and cloud near noon. Temperatures hit a high of 18. >> Amy: thank you, charlie.

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