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Police Chief: Car thefts double in Toronto during 2024

Police Chief: Car thefts double in Toronto during 2024

By Mounira Magdy

Published: March 19, 2024

Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw announced that after three months into 2024, the city has already seen more than double the number of car thefts compared to this time last year.

According to new statistics released on Monday, Toronto Police confirmed that there have been 68 car thefts since January 1st – an increase of 106 percent compared to the same period in 2023.

Demkiw said the city has witnessed a general escalation in "acts of violence, threats, and intimidation" related to car thefts, including suspects using weapons to steal vehicles.

Overall, the police said the number of car thefts in Toronto last year exceeded 12,200 vehicles.

Demkiw said during a press conference, "That means 34 vehicles every day. That’s at a rate of one vehicle every 40 minutes." "We know this is a concern for our communities and we continue to take necessary actions."

Car theft has been an ongoing problem in the city and throughout Ontario over the past several years. In 2022, Toronto Police data shows that 9,821 cars were stolen. In 2021, that number was 6,642.

As a result, in 2023, Toronto Police and Ontario Provincial Police collaborated to launch the Provincial Carjacking Joint Task Force (PCJTF) to combat this issue.

Since September 21, 2023, Toronto Police said the unit has arrested 121 suspects, laid 730 charges, and recovered 157 stolen vehicles.

Demkiw added that break and enter incidents related to car theft are also rising and have already reached 34 incidents so far this year, surpassing 22 incidents reported throughout 2023.

Updated statistics from Toronto Police follow clear guidance from the force last week regarding break and enter incidents related to car theft.

The force issued a warning in response to an officer requesting residents to leave their car keys at their front doors to prevent their homes from being raided. Police said that although the advice was "well-intentioned," there are "better ways to prevent home break-ins motivated by car theft."

Demkiw acknowledged that the force received some "negative feedback" following the officer's comments on February 27 and emphasized the ongoing efforts police are making to combat break and enter incidents related to car theft in the city.

He said, "... We continue our efforts not only to disrupt the individuals committing these types of crimes, but to arrest and hold accountable those who commit these types of crimes, and we are doing so on a very broad scale."

The chief pointed to the Toronto Police website for advice on how to prevent home break-ins.

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