In 1971 J. Standard Baker Quoted " Drivers Towing Trailers  Are Four (4) Times As Unsafe As Those In Cars Alone! 

OPP notes increase of insurance frauds involving ‘homemade’ trailers, marina chop shops and ATVs

July 27, 2011   by Canadian Underwriter

Car theft may be grabbing headlines these days, but frauds involving other types of vehicles have emerged recently on the radar screens of Ontario police.
These include insured ‘homemade’ trailers, watercraft and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs).
Sergeant Stephen Boyd of the Ontario Provincial Police’s organized crime enforcement bureau discussed these and other emerging fraud trends at the ISB Canada education series seminar, Combat Auto Fraud, held in London, Ontario on July 26.
“Homemade trailers, this is probably the hottest thing going on right now in the province [of Ontario],” said Boyd. “Do you know how many how many homemade trailers are registered in the province each year? We have had over 400,000 homemade trailers [registered] in Ontario over the last five years.
“All of these trailers are ‘homemade.’ Do they look homemade?”
Boyd’s rhetorical question accompanied a slide presentation of ‘homemade’ trailers, some of which were fully enclosed – and clearly commercially manufactured – trailers. He noted people obtain licenses for the trailers, obtain insurance for them, report them stolen and then re-register for a new homemade trailer license.
“We’ve lost 11,000 already in our jurisdiction [in 2011],” Boyd noted, adding that up to $300,000 to $400,000 worth of other property can easily go missing along with the trailer. One trailer, for example, went missing along with an expensive watercraft.
And speaking of watercraft, marina chop shops are coming into vogue. As in scams involving auto chop shops, boats are reported stolen, an insurance claim is made, and the ‘stolen’ boat is actually carted to a marina, where the boat is stripped for parts that are re-sold.
ATV thefts are also an emerging trend.
“ATVs are the Number 1 stolen [item] in OPP jurisdictions” across the province, Boyd said.
One group of thieves stole a number of ATVs, sold them, and then stole them from the buyers to whom they had just sold them. They proceeded to re-sell them a second time for $1,000 per ATV. “That was entrepreneurial,” Boyd said caustically.

Halton police are investigating after trailer and audio equipment valued at approximately $40,000 was stolen from an Oakville town councillor over the weekend.

Early Sunday morning (Oct. 8), someone approached a warehouse at 481 North Service Rd., cut the locks off a trailer in the parking lot, hooked the trailer up and drove away.

The trailer belonged to Ward 4 Coun. Roger Lapworth who, when he is not attending council meetings, works as an audio engineer.

“The worst thing about it is 99 per cent of the stuff I do is pro bono,” said Lapworth.

“Fortunately, I didn’t have any gigs Sunday. I have one Friday and one Saturday so I’m going to have to go out and rent some stuff now and rent a van to get it there.”

Lapworth said the trailer contained around 15 loudspeakers and $3,000 to $4,000 worth of cables.

The trailer itself is described as a black, six-by-10, U.S. Cargo trailer.

Lapworth said there are distinct scratches along both sides of the trailer from a time he attempted to take a shortcut through some trees.

No suspect description is available at this time.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the Halton police at 905-825-4747, ext. 7638 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.




[David Lea]

by David Lea

David Lea is a reporter with the Oakville Beaver. He can be reached at dlea@oakvillebeaver.com . Follow him on Twitter and the Oakville Beaver on FacebookEmail: dlea@oakvillebeaver.com Facebook Twitter

Maybe something will get done!  Why do we say that? Way Way Back in 2011 we spoke to the Premier Of Canada and he did nothing....Actually The Premier Of Ontario and just like the United States Government They Did Nothing!  Read Article..Where Is the Disconnect from these stupid political leaders?

Trailer and audio equipment valued at $40,000 stolen from Oakville councillor News 03:39 PM by David Lea Oakville Beaver

Note: Good Maybe Now They Will Listen.