Calgary Crime: Auto Theft Epidemic Escalates

CALGARY — Edmonton and Calgary just earned a title nobody wants: national "epicentres" for auto theft. The insurance industry dropped that label this week as claim costs from vehicle crimes keep climbing, and Albertans keep paying the price.

The Équité Association and the Insurance Bureau of Canada released their latest numbers, and they're ugly. In 2025, auto theft claims in Alberta blew past $300 million. The average cost per stolen ride? Over $20,000. That's not just a stat—it's your neighbor's truck vanishing from the driveway and your insurance premium creeping up another notch.

The Relay Attack Playbook

Thieves aren't hot-wiring cars in ski masks anymore. They're using "relay attack" technology to clone signals from push-to-start key fobs, turning a $60,000 SUV into a two-minute job. Police commissions in both cities have flagged this as the go-to method for organized rings running between Calgary and Edmonton.

In March 2025, cops struck back. Project Maverick—a joint operation overseen by Calgary Police Chief Mark Neufeld and Edmonton Police Chief Dale McFee—recovered dozens of stolen vehicles and busted a network operating across both cities. Charges followed. But the thefts keep coming.

The Money Fight

The UCP government threw $55 million over three years at the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT) through Alberta Budget 2025. Public Safety Minister Mike Ellis is steering the ship, and ALERT is hunting organized crime—including the theft rings bleeding Albertans dry.

But Alberta NDP Justice Critic Irfan Sabir isn't buying it. He's pointing at what he calls cuts to law enforcement grants under the UCP, arguing specialized police units need more cash, not less. The political blame game is in full swing.

The Port Problem Nobody's Fixing

Here's where the fight gets federal. Stolen vehicles don't just disappear—they roll into shipping containers at ports in Vancouver and Montreal, then vanish overseas. The IBC and Équité Association, led by President & CEO Terri O'Brien, have been hammering Ottawa to screen those containers harder. Premier Danielle Smith echoed that demand repeatedly throughout 2025.

The federal response? There's debate over whether Bill C-48 (2023)—which amended bail conditions for repeat violent offenders—actually stops prolific auto thieves. So far, the verdict's mixed.

What Happens Next

ALERT's operations continue. The provincial government keeps calling on Ottawa to tighten port screening. And Albertans keep hoping their vehicles will still be in the driveway come morning.