Toronto is facing a disturbing escalation in carjackings and auto thefts, with the city’s police chief raising concerns about the accompanying violence and intimidation involving weapons.
According to Chief Myron Demkiw, carjackings have more than doubled so far in 2024 compared to the same period last year, with 68 incidents reported. Break-ins for the purpose of vehicle theft have already surpassed the total for all of 2023, with 34 offenses recorded.
Demkiw emphasized that this trend represents “an escalation of violence, threats, and intimidation where weapons are being used to steal vehicles.” The concerning situation has prompted backlash over a Toronto police officer’s advice to residents to “leave your fobs at your front door” to reduce the risk of violent home invasions.
While acknowledging the backlash, Demkiw insisted that it’s not a policing problem.
“This is not just a law enforcement problem,” he said at a board meeting on Monday.
“It is time to be bold and collaborative with all levels of government, along with vehicle manufacturers, port authorities, and shipping companies … We need manufacturers to better protect vehicles from being stolen and cooperate with investigators to track stolen vehicles so we can catch offenders quickly and return vehicles to their owners.”
He also recommended a layered approach, including parking in secure areas, using steering wheel locks, protecting key fob signals, and leveraging anti-theft devices and tracking services.
The police chief also highlighted the efforts of the provincial carjacking task force, which has led to the arrest of 121 suspects, the laying of 730 charges, and the recovery of 157 stolen vehicles as of last Friday. Notably, a third of those facing charges are minors, and 25 are out on bail.
Toronto police have also started using automatic license plate recognition readers in cruisers to aid in the search for stolen plates. Demkiw expressed optimism about the technology’s potential impact, noting that police vehicles cover around 30 million kilometers of roadway annually.
The surge in auto thefts is a significant concern, with over 12,000 vehicles stolen in Toronto in 2023, representing a 250% increase since 2015, with total value of these stolen cars reaching a staggering $790 million.
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