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3 Can. B. Rev. 448 (1925)
The Canadian Stolen Automobile Situation

handle is hein.journals/canbarev3 and id is 464 raw text is: THE CANADIAN STOLEN AUTOMOBILE SITUATION. The automobile industry has expanded in such an extraordinary manner during the past two decades that it is not surprising that, in some respects at least, our legislation is twenty years behind its time. The motor car has introduced a new element in present-day con- ditions from an economical, social, moral and practically every point of view. On account of its rapidity of locomotion, it has proved an easy prey for criminals, and an invaluable asset in their nefarious trade. The paucity of available data makes it very hard to establish the exact number of thefts which occur in Canada and the United States. Some figures are available which will give some idea of the situation. For instance, the thefts reported by the Conference of the National Automobile Underwriters amount to 49,940 cars for the year 1924, with no records for the states of Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon and Utah. In Canada, no statistics are available. However, we unaersrand that 736 cars were reported stolen to the Montreal police, of which some 300 were recovered, and the balance are still outstanding. Of the amount of cars stolen in the United States which are brought into Canada there can be no figures available. The writer, however, in ap- proximately a few months' practice was in touch with some 30 or 35 cars of this description. One individual, whom the writer inter- viewed personally, had a list of some 35 American cars which he could locate at any time, but whose owners could not be found. The original numbers of these cars were changed and identification was almost impossible. These few personal experiences are quoted merely to emphasize the gravity of a situation which cannot be overstated. It would be interesting at the same time to quote the number of convictions for the theft of motor cars, but the writer has not avail- able data on this point. It is safe to say, however, that there is not one conviction for fifty thefts. We therefore have to consider losses involving annually millions of dollars and, at the same time, impunity of the guilty parties. There is no situation more compromising for the stability of a State than when its laws are treated with contempt and when the malefactors enrich themselves through their rimes. In other words, the theft of

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