Investing $51 Million to Crack Down on Organized Auto Theft

Vehicle thefts and associated violence are on the rise across. Our government is taking action to put an end to it by dismantling criminal networks and putting thieves behind bars.

This $51 Million investment will help our communities fight back through:

• Creating an Organized Crime Towing and Auto Theft Team led by the Ontario Provincial Police, to quickly identify and address organized theft networks.
• Offering a new Community Safety Grant to give OPP, municipal and First Nations police forces funding for the extra tools, technology and community outreach need to catch criminals.
• Creating a new Major Auto Theft Prosecution Response Team to provide the dedicated legal and prosecutorial support required to hold criminals accountable in complex, large-scale cases.

Additionally, as part of the Guns and Gangs Violence Reduction Strategy, Ontario will continue to target organized crime that fuels gang operations, such as vehicle theft rings, through a further $13.4 million investment this year. 

Quick Facts

• 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 per cent increase in the last year alone.
• Thieves and criminal networks have specifically targeted the Greater Toronto Area:
  • In Toronto, auto thefts increased 81 per cent from 2014 to 2021 and the city experienced a 78 per cent increase in violent carjackings from 2021 to 2022.
  • In Peel Region, carjackings have risen 45 per cent since 2021.
  • From 2021 to 2022, auto thefts in Halton Region increased by approximately 49 per cent, with Oakville and Burlington hardest hit.