Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw announced a significant surge in carjackings within the city, marking over a 100% increase in the first three months of 2024 compared to the same timeframe last year.
Statistics unveiled on Monday show a total of 68 carjackings since January 1, reflecting a 106% rise from the previous year.
Demkiw said there was a concerning trend in the nature of these crimes, with a rising escalation in “violence, threats, and intimidation” during vehicle thefts, often involving armed suspects. He said in 2023, the city saw over 12,200 auto thefts, equivalent to 34 vehicles stolen daily, or about one every 40 minutes, reports iHeartRadio.
The Police Chief emphasized the continued efforts of law enforcement to combat this issue, pointing to the creation of the Provincial Carjacking Joint Task Force (PCJTF) in collaboration with the Ontario Provincial Police in 2023. Since its inception, the task force has arrested 121 suspects, laying 730 charges, and recovering 157 stolen vehicles.
Additionally, Demkiw mentioned a rise in break-and-enter incidents aimed at car theft, with 34 occurrences already reported this year, surpassing the total from 2023. This increase follows recent guidance from Toronto police on preventing auto theft-related home invasions, correcting previous advice that had suggested leaving car key fobs at the front door. Wait, what? The rationale was that car thieves are breaking into homes to get your car and nothing else. Still, the logic is incredible.
"Toronto Police advise the public to reduce the risk of home invasions aimed at car theft by placing their key fobs near the front door. This strategy is suggested because culprits are primarily entering homes to access cars, not to steal other items." 👇🏽 pic.twitter.com/7TjMILu43d
— Shazi (@ShaziGoalie) March 14, 2024
“We continue our efforts to not only disrupt but actually arrest, apprehend, and hold people accountable who are committing these types of crimes and we’re doing so on a very significant scale,” said Demkiw.
How to keep tabs on your car? Toss in an Apple AirTag to track it as that has worked for some car owners in Ontario. But there’s been times where even a car being tracked down cannot be recovered by police. Something has to change on this insane rise in auto thefts.
