Achi news desk-
Recent unconventional leads from a Toronto police officer have sparked a wider discussion about car theft across the province.
On February 27, Const. Marco Ricciardi advised residents at a community meeting in Etobicoke to leave their vehicle keys near their front doors in Faraday pouches as a way to prevent break-ins motivated by car theft.
“To prevent the possibility of an attack in your home, leave your fobs at your front door,” Ricciardi said at the meeting. “Because they’re breaking into your home to steal your car. They don’t want anything else.”
Weeks later, after some residents voiced concerns that this advice would make it easier for thieves, the Toronto Police Service clarified its position and outlined better ways to prevent home invasions motivated by car theft.
Some tips include parking vehicles inside the garage, keeping driveways brightly lit, installing home security systems and refraining from posting publicly when you’re away on vacation online.
Outside of what Toronto Police recommended, some drivers use so-called vehicle “disablers,” but even Dan Robert, a backyard mechanic of nearly 50 years, says he doesn’t trust them as they are mass marketed.
For his new Dodge Ram truck, one of the most stolen vehicles in Ontario in 2023, Robert says he will install a hidden 12-volt automotive switch that can cut off the power remotely, as it is previously used on a barely owned Camaro. .
“In my case, it shuts off power to the fuel pump, preventing the engine from starting, even if you have the key,” Robert told CTV News in an email. “Put it where it will be impossible to find. Turn it off and the vehicle is completely immobile.”
As cars rely more on electronics and sensors, Robert said he learned how to shut down a vital engine component – such as the fuel pump – to prevent his vehicles from being stolen.
“Once I found the right wire, it was just a matter of splicing into the circuit. It could be an engine computer, ignition system or other critical circuit,” Robert said, adding that those interested in doing the same should seek a professional to install it in their vehicles.
After his 2022 Ram was stolen from his driveway late last year, Fernand Lamothe, of Barrie, Ont., installed several bells and whistles for his new truck to prevent the proverbial lightning from striking twice.
Some of the safety features Lamothe installed in his vehicle, including a steering wheel lock (left) and an additional horn under the roof (right). (Fernand Lamothe)
“I’ve made myself much more prepared by installing an immobilizer, club, steering wheel cable to seat belt lock, more outdoor cameras, including a GPS tracking system. […] all at extra expense to me,” said Lamothe.
He chose a third-party tracking system, Planet GPS, for its extensive security features—even if it requires a $120 annual subscription.
“It gives you longitude, latitude, gives you the speed of the vehicle, you could actually set up perimeters on the vehicle,” Lamothe said, adding that the system can be lifted from an underground parking garage.
While Teslas can include their own safety features – such as Sentry Mode, which enables cameras and sensors, detecting nearby threats through headlights and pulsating alarms – Edward Robinson said it also relies on AirTags.
“I am concerned that the car hijackers will be able to crack the code and log into the Tesla,” Robinson said in an email. “If that’s done (and it probably will be) then they can probably turn that all off. So, I use two Apple AirTags, so even if he was completely disabled, such as a complete disconnection from the battery for transport, I could still track him anywhere in the world with my Apple AirTags. “
Car thefts on the rise in Toronto
Police recently revealed that within the first three months of 2024, Toronto has already seen more than double the number of carjackings it did this time in 2023.
On March 18, Toronto police shared that there have been 68 carjackings since January 1, which is a 106 percent increase over the same period last year. In 2023, over 12,000 vehicles were stolen, which equates to a daily average of more than 33 thefts.
In contrast to 2019, 5,197 robberies were reported in the city.
Car theft has been a growing concern in Toronto and across the province for several years, prompting the Toronto Police Service and the Ontario Provincial Police to launch a Joint Carjacking Task Force (PCJTF) in 2023 to address the problem.
On March 20, police from across the Greater Toronto Area and Hamilton met for the second annual Peel Region Auto Theft Summit. According to joint data from the state’s major police forces, there has been a 116 per cent increase in stolen vehicles since 2019.
Although officials have shown they are making some progress – recovering more than 15,000 vehicles in the past five years – they want more enforcement at major ports, where many stolen vehicles have ended up.
“Of the cars that are stolen in Ontario, 80 percent are destined for export,” Peel Regional Police Chief Nishan Duraiappah said at the summit Wednesday.
The federal government estimates that 90,000 vehicles are stolen each year across the country, resulting in approximately $1 billion in costs to Canadian insurance policyholders and taxpayers.
In February, the federal Liberals held a national summit to find ways to ban devices often used to steal vehicles and look at tougher criminal penalties.
“The progress over the last few years has been alarming,” said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during the summit. “Organized crime is becoming more brazen, and the foreign market for the stolen cars is expanding.”
Among the proposed federal actions to combat car theft, the government plans to establish better communication between local police and rail police to identify stolen vehicles before they reach the ports as well as modernize the Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards to ensure they consider technological improvements to prevent. and prevent car theft.
With files from CTV Toronto’s Pat Foran, Abby O’Brien and Phil Tsekouras, and The Canadian Press
