I fully agree that we have to discuss this very important issue. Not only is it important, but there's a sense of urgency.
I come from Richmond, B.C., and I want to point out that in 2023, we had 7,500 vehicles stolen across the province. What's more concerning than the number of thefts is the number of recoveries. The number of recoveries from 2024 actually dropped to 77% from the previous year, which was 85%. The concern is that vehicles are being stolen and are not being recovered. In most cases, those vehicles were sent overseas.
We have to be mindful that this is not a petty crime, because we know that these kinds of vehicle thefts are related to more serious criminal activities, such as smuggling and other kinds of violent crime. Sometimes, people have the sense that this is only a petty crime and people are being covered by insurance. However, these kinds of crimes affect every family and every small business. Families are losing their means of transportation. Small businesses are also losing their means of transportation. More importantly, their insurance goes up. It affects everybody.
It's not a petty crime, and we need to address it with tougher laws, more actions and better enforcement. That's why I'm saying we cannot wait for the summer and we have to deal with this as soon as possible.