As the Greater Toronto Area confronts an auto theft crisis, some residents are considering bold — or arguably radical — action. Police say the surge in auto thefts has led to rises in home invasions, violent robberies and gun violence throughout the Greater Toronto Area. As the Greater Toronto Area confronts an auto theft crisis, some residents are considering bold — or arguably radical — action.
But he said he has been jarred by reports of criminals breaking into homes with weapons and demanding keys to vehicles. Amid mounting public frustration, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau convened a national auto theft summit in February, urging closer collaboration between law enforcement, border services, the insurance industry and automakers.
"I was in a total shock," she said in a recent interview. "I woke up my partner and I'm like, 'somebody is stealing my truck.' And we ran downstairs and it was gone."The 52-year-old social worker described the ordeal that followed as a "nightmare."In the meantime, she was out $2,000 in monthly rental costs for a replacement vehicle because her insurance only covered $1,000.
Ontario Provincial Police and the Canada Border Services Agency said they've seized 598 stolen cars that were destined for export at the Port of Montreal, during a news conference on April 3. The vehicles had an estimated value of $35.5 million dollars. "Why is it on the consumer to protect ourselves?" she said.
Toronto police and Bryan Gast, vice-president of investigative services at the Equite Association, have linked the rising problem to organized crime.