Toronto police are asking the public to increase reporting on information about stolen vehicles, as the force aims to stem the rapidly growing scourge of car thefts.
The Toronto Police Service reported 9,606 vehicle thefts in 2022, a 192 per cent increase over 2015, and insurance industry group Equite Association has said that car thefts across Ontario rose more than 48 per cent in 2022 over the previous year.
The Ontario Motor Vehicle Industry Council says that 30 per cent of private car sales in Ontario are by "curbsiders," a term that refers to unregistered vendors who often trade in stolen cars.
Toronto Crime Stoppers chair Sean Sportun says police will be working more closely with the motor vehicle industry moving forward.
He says the public also has a responsibility to report any information about illegal curbside sales.
Sportun says people should not be afraid of facing retribution from criminals for tipping off police, assuring that anonymously reporting to Crime Stoppers is a secure way to provide information.
Banner image: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 17, 2023.
