Brian Erwin, an insurance broker at McDougall Insurance in Ottawa, says some insurers are asking clients with high-risk vehicles to install a tracking system or pay a $500 annual premium. (Robyn Miller/CBC News)
Insurance rates can vary by provider and depend on location, said Erwin, who explained the final calculation can be determined by how many thefts have occurred in particular area.
“You could go to Company A and they had real bad losses in big bad Barrhaven, but they haven’t had bad losses in Orléans, so the premiums will be different,” he explained.
Those rate increases can sometimes take a while to kick in, Erwin said.
“Insurance rates are based on history, so if all the thefts are happening this year, it’ll translate into premiums next year.”
Cherine Abourida, who lives in Barrhaven and drives a 2019 Jeep Cherokee, said she was shocked when her insurance provider wanted to raise her rate by about $50 a month.
“It was crazy and with the cost of everything else increasing, I couldn’t afford paying $230 just for car insurance,” Abourida said.
After shopping around, Abourida said she was able to find a better rate, but she worries about the future.
“It’s really sad because even people who have security cameras, their cars are still being stolen.”
Is policing the solution?
Ottawa police have not had a dedicated auto theft unit since 2017, when Deputy Chief Patricia Ferguson said a rise in shootings prompted a reorganization.
Some Barrhaven residents feel a stronger police presence could help ward off thieves, but Belanger said policing is only part of the solution.
He suggested vehicle owners do what they can to protect their property before a theft occurs.
“I don’t imagine this is a problem that’s going to go away, and I say that because the sheer profitability behind it means that it’s worthwhile for these groups to continue to develop technology or strategies that are going to work around the solutions that we have right now,” he said.
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