Despite the many arrests of criminals and recovery of millions of dollars worth of stolen vehicles by Peel Regional Police, auto theft remains a significant concern in our region and across the Greater Toronto Area.
Auto theft and its prevention continue to be a top priority for PRP. Its Commercial Auto Crime Unit has doubled from six to twelve members, becoming one of the largest auto crime units in the province. It has further enhanced investigative measures and enforcement abilities, collaborating with police partners province-wide to crack down on auto theft.
As of October 31, 2023, PRP has successfully recovered over $130M worth of stolen vehicles, with a recovery rate of over 40%.
To date, there has been 6,121 auto thefts reported in Peel Region. This number has already exceeded last year’s figure, which totalled 5,518 auto thefts in all of 2022.
| Year | Auto Theft | Recovered Vehicles | Carjacking |
| 2023 (To date) | 6,121 | 2,369 | 76 |
| 2022 | 5,518 | 2,516 | 99 |
| 2021 | 3,771 | 1,837 | 59 |
| 2020 | 3,025 | 1,738 | N/A |
In addition, PRP’s Central Robbery Bureau (CRB) has seen a recent upward trend involving the carjacking and auto theft of food service delivery vehicles and personal transportation drivers, with 20 carjacking involving ride-share or delivery drivers as of August 30, 2023, since the start of the year.
In addition to local enforcement efforts, we are committed to identifying opportunities to strengthen measures at the provincial and federal levels to combat auto thefts. Deputy Chief Nick Milinovich recently travelled to the Port of Montreal with members of PRP’s Commercial Auto Crime Bureau to connect and discuss vulnerabilities around the export of stolen vehicles from Canada.
This visit identified opportunities that could help address PRP’s efforts toward auto theft recoveries. PRP will continue to work with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) to ensure that auto theft is a priority and to allocate the necessary resources to inspect containers leaving the port.
Crime prevention is a crucial component in reducing instances of vehicle theft and carjacking. Following are a list of measures vehicle owners can take to help protect their property from being stolen, followed by links to additional resources.
- Park your vehicle in the garage, if possible. Remember to lock your garage door. If you must park in the driveway and have a second vehicle, park it directly behind targeted ones.
- Ensure your property is well lit.
- Do not leave running vehicles unattended. Ensure you always lock car doors and roll up your windows.
- Do not leave your keys by the front door; store them far away from your vehicle. Store keys in a FARADAY/RFID Blocking device when possible.
- Invest in security cameras for outside your home.
- Use theft preventative devices (steering wheel lock, an automatic engine shut-off, and/or a tracking device). Install aftermarket products like a GPS trackers, remote vehicle shut off devices and on-board data port locks to prevent thieves from cloning keys.
- Cover or block your vehicle identification number.
- Avoid storing valuables or packages in open sight in your vehicles (place them out of sight or in the trunk).
To learn more, please visit www.peelpolice.ca/crimeprevention.
Other helpful links with similar/additional tips:
Vehicle Theft Prevention Tips – Halton Police
Targeted Vehicles & Prevention Tips – Consumer Reports