Just days after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hinted that his government is considering tougher penalties for auto theft, Barrie Police have reported they investigated three stolen motor vehicle cases in three days – with one vehicle stolen and recovered by another police service before the owner even realized it had been taken.
The first occurrence came early Friday February 9th as a result of the owner being contacted by York Regional Police at 4:58 A.M. after his 2009 Ford Cargo van was located at the southbound Highway 400 ONRoute in Vaughan. It was stolen sometime after 1:00 A.M. from his Cumberland Street driveway. In a strange twist, this stolen and then recovered van, required a boost at the Highway 400 roadside rest area and the good Samaritan who assisted the thief ended up having his van stolen.
The second theft occurrence reported to Barrie Police was received at 8:43 A.M. and involved an orange coloured 2022 Dodge RAM TRX pickup truck that was stolen from a Cumming Drive home. Video surveillance captured the thieves approaching the residence in question wearing balaclavas at 1:26 A.M. and then fleeing with the truck at 1:32 A.M. The truck had personalized Veteran licence plates VCMC, was locked, and had a steering wheel locking device affixed to it. The owner was also in possession of both sets of key fobs that were secured in a Feraday box. Broken glass was located on the driveway, and it is believed that the thieves broke a window to gain access to the truck before driving away with it.
The third report involved a vehicle that was stolen from a Wildwood Trail home, but details have not yet been shared with Barrie Police.
On February 11th at 3:30 P.M., the owner of a gray 2018 Ford Escape licence CLCR940 discovered that their SUV had been stolen from their Patricia Avenue driveway sometime after 2:00 P.M. on Saturday afternoon. The owner was in possession of both sets of issued keys.
In a news release, Barrie Police say will continue to provide details involving motor vehicle theft in the hope that awareness will alert others to the organized criminal activity that is occurring nearby or in their neighbourhood.
Last week, during a daylong national summit on auto theft in Ottawa, RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme said that some thefts are being carried out with “extreme violence.” Prior to the summit, the federal government announced it would spend $28 million to help curb exports of stolen vehicles. The money would give the CBSA greater capacity to detect and search shipping containers carrying stolen cars. The federal government says an estimated 90,000 cars are stolen annually in Canada, resulting in about $1 billion in costs to Canadian insurance policyholders and taxpayers.
In Ontario, car thefts increased by 31% in the first six months of 2023, when compared to the same period in 2022. Thieves and criminal networks have specifically targeted the Greater Toronto Area:
- In Toronto, auto thefts increased 81 per cent from 2014 to 2021 and the city experienced a 78 per cent increase in violent carjackings from 2021 to 2022
- 5,077 vehicles were reported stolen in Toronto in the first half of 2023
- In Peel Region, carjackings have risen 45 per cent since 2021
- York Regional Police report an 82 per cent increase in auto theft when comparing the first half of 2023 to 2022.
Last November, the Ontario government announced an $18 million investment over three years to help police services combat and prevent auto theft. The Preventing Auto Thefts (PAT) grant provides funding for 21 projects that feature new and enhanced crime-fighting measures focused on prevention, detection, analysis, and enforcement.
Funding for police projects includes:
- Acquiring specialized resources, including surveillance equipment, software and GPS tracking devices
- Providing specialized training to police investigators to enhance skillsets specific to auto theft
- Creating new units dedicated to auto theft, including cross-jurisdictional units that will serve more than one police service to break down silos and address organized criminal activity
- Expanding data collection and analysis efforts to capture more metrics on the linkage to organized crime and other criminal activity
An Angus Reid survey conducted in September 2023, found that:
- 84%of Canadians say the rise in auto theft makes them concerned about the increase in crime in their community
- 69%say the rise in auto theft makes them concerned about their personal safety and/or the safety of their family
- 65%say that government, auto manufacturers, law enforcement and the courts need to work together to fix this issue
Tips To Prevent Your Vehicle From Being Stolen:
- Park inside a garage if available.
- Block your vehicle in tightly against a second less sought-after vehicle.
- If you do not have a garage or second vehicle, one of the most foolproof techniques is to install an after-market vehicle immobilizer and alarm.
- Install after-market tracking devices or “GPS” — many of these have the ability to “fence in your car” notifying the owner’s smart phone if the vehicle leaves the established perimeter.
- If you use “Air Tags” do be mindful that if the thief has an Apple phone, it will advise them that the vehicle is being tracked. So, try and hide them within the vehicle.
- If you find an Air Tag in your vehicle or receive a message on your smartphone that you are being tracked, call police.
- Install an engine control module port-lock.
- Install motion detection lights and exterior surveillance cameras at home, as these can act as a deterrent.
- Keep in mind that thieves have returned to steal the replacement vehicle when a vehicle has been stolen.
- Use a steering wheel lock to deter thieves (keep in mind they can cut the steering wheel to remove it); it works best when combined with a secondary anti-theft device that may not be as visible to the thief.
