By Pepper Parr
March 18th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
When news like this is published we are close to living in a society where the criminals rule. That’s the situation in Haiti.
In revised guidance issued Thursday, Toronto police told residents to add security cameras or a home security system, put security film over windows, install multi-point door locks and avoid posting to social media when on holidays.
Images of different people in the process of stealing an automobile
According to the Toronto Star “The chief went on to say that thanks to the provincial carjacking task force, which includes collaboration with the Ontario Provincial Police, police have arrested 121 suspects, laid 730 charges and recovered 157 stolen vehicles as of last Friday.
According to Toronto police data, thieves managed to steal more than 12,000 vehicles in the city in 2023 — a startling 250 per cent increase since 2015, to a level just shy of a post-amalgamation record.
In total, those cars were valued at $790 million — “that’s 34 vehicles stolen every day (or) one every 40 minutes,”
Do you get the feeling that no seems to have a solution to the problem. The Doug Ford solution “give me judges that will lock them up with no bail” is not a solution. It is the beginning the end of a society governed by the rule of law – laws that are fair and just.
The problem we have today started years ago when the criminals were young boys and were denied opportunities because of their race or colour. So the created opportunities of their own.
Unfortunately lots of incorrect information here and protracted conclusions. Here’s a mini documentary on this issue with real statistics.
Bottom line this is organized crime shipping cars out of the country to Africa and the middle east, and there is no deterrence in our justice system.
On top of that, inspection and security at our ports is woefully in adequate.
Unlike 40 years ago the cars being stolen today are sophisticated, high end products like Lexus, Jeeps and Land Rovers. I don’t understand why the police and car manufacturers can’t get together, install multiple tracking devices on decoy vehicles, and see where they end up.
The stolen vehicles aren’t being shipped to Nigeria on planes. They are primarily being driven to Montreal and transported on ships in cargo containers. So, mandate inspection of every cargo container bound for African ports. Every ship also has a manifest. Somebody has to sign to ship the car, and somebody has to sign for it at the destination port. In addition, make it mandatory that anyone wishing to ship a vehicle overseas first has to undergo a criminal reference check.
Auto theft, like insurance fraud, isn’t committed by petty criminals anymore. It’s big business. There is a whole underground economy that is being supported by these illegal activities. Yet, while the car owner suffers the loss of their property, in truth, the manufacturers get to sell more products, the insurance companies get to raise premiums for drivers, and a whole bunch of nefarious interests get to carry on an illegal enterprise without paying taxes.
Finally, let’s also not fail to mention that Toyota and Honda (manufacturers of several of the most frequently stolen products) have known about the problem with their fobs for years and done pretty much nothing to fix it. There’s a reason why Nissan, Subaru and GM products aren’t being targeted, and it has to do with proper engineering controls.
Not a huge fan of government telling manufacturing firms what to do. However, if you connect the dots, from when cars needed keys to fobs that have rfid codes, the problem is the fobs. Just like they have to have seat belts etc, auto manufactures should either come up with a tech solution or go back to keys.