In recent months, police have removed 89 suspects suspected of being involved in violent carjackings carried out on the street or after home invasions.
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The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) announced Thursday that its team investigating car thefts on public roads has made 89 arrests since Sept. 21, resulting in the filing of 554 charges. In addition, the authorities were able to recover 109 stolen vehicles.
The special team, led by the OPP and Toronto Police, but also including other police forces, was specifically deployed to combat violent carjackings.
The scourge of car theft in Ontario is characterized by an increase in thefts from parked vehicles, but also directly from the street. Drivers were regularly forced out of their cars and taken away by thieves. Others resort to schemes such as ramming the back of a vehicle and then stealing it when the driver gets out to inspect the damage.
House break-ins by thieves looking for vehicle keys are also frequently reported.
According to the police, the number of cases tended to decrease in 2023. “Across the Greater Toronto Area, members of the team are successfully dismantling the networks responsible for these high-risk thefts,” noted Toronto Police Superintendent Steve Watts.
This announcement follows other new releases from police forces in southern Ontario who also reported arrests of car thieves this week.
Remember, the Trudeau government announced Monday it will hold a summit on vehicle theft in February.