In the first two weeks of this year alone, 453 vehicle thefts were reported to Toronto Police, a 48 per cent increase from the same time last year.
Across Ontario, thousands more car thefts were reported than in provinces like Alberta or Quebec, according to a report released by Équité Association, a sister organization to the Insurance Bureau of Canada.
Thieves are getting bolder, too. According to Toronto Police data, many of the reported incidents occurred in residential driveways.
The stolen vehicles are primarily push-to-start as opposed to the traditional key start, Halton Police said.
Experts in the field say there are many reasons the province is seeing a spike.
COVID-19 made it very difficult for Canadians to buy vehicles, as supply chain issues created parts shortages in the auto industry.
Constable Maniva Armstrong, media relations officer with York Regional Police, said this has created an environment where thieves are being paid a premium to steal vehicles and ship them overseas.
“High-end vehicles are in demand overseas and after they are stolen, they’re placed into shipping containers and for the most part, sent to North Africa,” she said. “These vehicles also have no tracking capability from the manufacturer or dealership, making recovery difficult once the vehicle is stolen.”
Bryan Gast, vice president of Investigative Services at Équité Association, said this is not the only purpose for stolen vehicles.
“Vehicles are being stolen and then sold to unsuspecting consumers,” he said.
“So that now becomes a consumer protection piece where somebody thinks that they’re buying a legitimate used vehicle,” Gast said. “They’re paying up to $100,000 for what they think is a good quality used vehicle, when in fact it’s stolen.”
This is an easy scheme to fall victim to, he said.
The thieves will alter the vehicle’s identification number and pose as a reputable dealer of the second-hand car, Gast said.
He said this type of crime is significant because it impacts more than just the people who have had their cars stolen.
Insurance premiums across the country have risen as a result of spikes in activity like Ontario is seeing right now.
Brett Weltman, manager of media relations at the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC), said the organization is aware of how auto theft is impacting insurance costs.
“Criminal activity and fraud are impacting overall claims costs for Ontario drivers,” IBC said. “In Ontario, a car is stolen every 48 minutes. From 2014 to 2021, there was a 72 per cent increase in auto theft across the province, and a 14% increase in the last year alone.”
Police services across the GTA as well as organizations like Équité said there are many ways to prevent a vehicle from being stolen.
Halton Constable Ryan Anderson said third party tracking devices should be installed in people’s vehicles, in places where thieves would not be able to locate.
Armstrong also said that where possible, cars should be parked inside locked garages, and to use other types of technology where possible to protect one’s vehicle.
“Install a lock on the data port,” she said. “This simple device can be purchased online and blocks access to the computer port where the thieves gain access to reprogram the vehicle’s keys.”
In the meantime, there are initiatives in place like Toronto Police’s Project Stallion, which are working to reduce auto theft and recover stolen vehicles. In April of this year, Toronto investigators recovered more than 500 stolen vehicles, and laid charges against 119 people.