Police services across Ontario recently convened with government officials, auto manufacturers, and insurers to discuss the rising number of auto thefts in the province.
This marked the second time that such a summit was held by the Peel Regional Police, along with its collaborators in the Durham, Halton, Hamilton, Niagara, and York Regional Police Services, the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), Toronto Police Service, the Criminal Intelligence Service of Ontario, and the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police.
During the summit, Peel Regional Police Chief Nishan Duraiappah referred to auto theft as an epidemic affecting numerous jurisdictions across Ontario.
“It has escalated into a complex national issue, impacting the safety and well-being of our communities,” he said.
Statistics provided by the police services participating in the summit show that there was a 116% rise in stolen vehicles reported between 2019 and 2023.
Peel specifically dealt with over 7,000 thefts in 2023 alone, translating to an average of over 600 stolen vehicles per month.
The summit also shed light on the growing prevalence of violent auto theft incidents. There were 185 carjackings in Peel over the last two years, according to the police, with one resulting in homicide.
To address these issues, Ontario police services have established a Provincial Car Jacking Task Force, which has led to 730 criminal charges and the recovery of 150 stolen vehicles.
Further provincial efforts led by the OPP and the Criminal Intelligence Service of Ontario have yielded over 1,400 criminal charges and the recovery of more than 900 stolen vehicles.
“Organized auto theft is among the top three revenue generators for criminal organizations,” said York Regional Police Chief Jim MacSween, who also serves as president of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police. “It represents a growing and serious threat to public safety and puts police officers at risk as individuals committing these crimes are using increasingly dangerous ways to evade capture and eventual arrest.”
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