As The Trillium recently reported, the numbers are staggering: every day, more than 50 vehicles in Ontario are stolen. A lot of of those cars and trucks end up in shipping containers bound for overseas markets. For governments of all levels, cracking down on auto theft has become a top priority in recent weeks. Premier Doug Ford warned car thieves everywhere that “we’re coming after you,” and the Trudeau Liberals have pledged $15-million to help fight the growing problem across the country.
Bryan Gast understands the challenge as well as anyone. A former OPP officer who is now vice-president of investigative services at Équité Association, Gast was a guest on the latest episode of Village Media's Inside the Village podcast. “I always try not to give a how-to guide to steal vehicles, but I think it’s important for people to recognize what methods are out there so they can protect themselves," Gast said. He said modern-day car thieves have evolved far beyond screwdrivers and coat hangers. “They are very sophisticated," Gast sai