Ontario says it is stepping up its fight against auto theft by going after the smartphones used to commit the crimes.
As reported by CTV News, the Ford government plans to give police more power to seize and search smartphones suspected to be involved in car thefts. These devices are often used by organized crime to clone key fobs, alter vehicle identification numbers (VINs), and coordinate theft operations.
Public Safety Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria said that while auto thefts in Ontario dropped 16% in 2024 compared to the previous year, “there’s always more we can do to protect vehicle owners.”
“For far too long, organized criminals have been wreaking havoc across our province, targeting innocent vehicle owners and (committing) violent carjackings and home invasions. Every family in this province deserves a peace of mind knowing their homes and their vehicles are safe,” said Sarkaria in Brampton on Tuesday.
Sarkaria said the proposed legislation would update the Highway Traffic Act to let authorities search for and seize devices used to steal vehicles — including FOB programmers, scanners, and smartphones with car theft apps. The law would exempt legitimate use of these tools by auto dealers, repair shops, and roadside assistance workers.
Peel police, which deals with the highest per capita car theft rate in the country, has already seen a 45% drop in thefts in early 2025—a reduction valued at about $60 million. Police say that stopping the use of smartphones in vehicle crimes could be a turning point in disrupting organized auto theft networks.
It’s another step forward to “dismantle organized crime and hold offenders accountable,” said Peel Deputy Chief Nick Milinovich.
Canada has been seen as the car theft capital of the world, mainly in Ontario, with residents installing bollards and taking other measures to protect their cars from being stolen, even using Apple’s AirTags to track their stolen vehicles. Brazen thieves were breaking into homes to snatch car keys, to the point where police told citizens to leave their car keys near their front doors (an insane idea). Ottawa tried to stop the problem by asking Canadians for ideas on how to stop auto theft.
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