Combatting Auto Theft
May 7, 2024 Telephone Town Hall
Click here to listen to a recording of the Telephone Town Hall.
On May 7, 2024, at 7:30pm, the City of Brampton hosted a Telephone Town Hall on auto theft and break and enters
8300 households tuned into our Tele Town Hall with Mayor Patrick Brown and other members of Council, Peel Regional Police Chief Nishan Duraiappah, Deputy Chief Nick Milinovich and Deputy Chief Marc Andrews.
Attendees shared their thoughts, concerns and feedback in an active conversation detailing the city’s plans to combat auto theft.
The results from the Tele Town Hall revealed that:
➡️ When asked how important the issue of auto theft is in Brampton, 90% of participants think it is VERY important whereas 8% believe it is SOMEWHAT and 2% find the issue NOT important at all.
➡️When asked if the federal government should install container scanners at ports to stop stolen autos from being shipped overseas 93% said YES, 5% said NOT SURE, and 2% said NO.
Thank you to everyone who participated in the discussion, your voice helps the City to make informed decisions that shape Brampton’s future.
Background
Since 2020, auto thefts have dramatically increased across the country. As one of Canada’s largest cities, the City of Brampton has also seen a rise in auto thefts.
On February 1, 2023, Brampton Council passed a motion to help prevent auto theft in Brampton following residents' significant concern for their safety and well-being due to the rise of auto theft in the community.
Recent police reports show an increase in auto theft across Canada, where 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.
Peel Regional Police (PRP) has reported an 86% rise in auto thefts from 2020 (3,127 thefts) to 2022 (5,806 thefts) in Brampton and Mississauga.
Signal Blocking Pouch Giveaway
In addition to the many advocacy efforts, the City of Brampton has acted to help residents better combat auto theft from happening at their home. In June 2023, in partnership with Peel Regional Police, Peel Crime Stoppers and generously sponsored by Performance Auto Group, the City of Brampton launched a pilot program to combat auto thefts through the free distribution of Signal Blocking Pouches (SBP) to households in five pilot areas.
A Signal Blocking Pouch may prevent a relay attack by blocking the radio signal given off by a vehicle key FOB, thereby foiling attempts to steal your vehicle while parked.
The results of the pilot program were made available in March 2024. Peel Regional Police statistical data showed a decrease by 37 per cent in auto thefts in the five pilot areas, in the six months after the SBPs were mailed out, compared to six months before the distribution of the SBPs.
Brampton City Council was encouraged by these results and voted to continue the program and offer free Signal Blocking Pouches to qualifying residents across the entire city!
Keeping your vehicle key FOBs a far distance from where your vehicle is parked or keeping them in a SBP may help prevent your vehicle from being stolen!
Keeping Our Community Safe
The Ontario government is fighting auto theft by investing $51 million in new measures to help police identify and dismantle organized crime networks.
The Region of Peel is committed to adding 70 new police officers and 50 civilian professionals to PRP to combat auto theft and break-ins, and address growth and community safety.
The City of Brampton is also advocating for an increase in the number of Canada Border and Security Agency officers inspecting containers leaving Canada to prevent stolen vehicles from leaving the country.
Letter to The Honourable Marco Mendicino: View in .pdf format
Letter to Auto Manufacturers: View in .pdf forma
Auto Theft Prevention Tips
The use of SBP alone will not guarantee protection against auto theft. Additionally, there are other measures that, when done, in combination with the SBP can make your vehicle more difficult to steal.
Our community partners, Peel Crime Stoppers and the Peel Regional Police Service, have provided some helpful tips below:
- Park your vehicle in the garage, if possible. Lock your garage door. Ensure your property is well lit.
- Do not leave running vehicles unattended. Ensure you always lock vehicle doors and roll up your windows.
- Do not leave your keys by the front door; store them far away from your vehicle. Store keys in a signal blocking pouch when possible.
- Invest in security cameras for outside your home. Use theft preventative devices (steering wheel lock, an automatic engine shut-off, and/or a tracking device). Install aftermarket products like a GPS tracker, remote vehicle shut off devices and on-board data port locks to prevent thieves from cloning keys.
- Avoid storing valuables or packages in plain view in your vehicles (place them out of sight or in the trunk).
Auto Theft Summit 2023
On March 10, a joint-collaboration auto theft summit was held by the Peel Police Services Board and Peel Regional Police, partnering police services, stakeholders from government and industry leaders, to shed light on the challenges in public safety related to auto theft. More notably, it was to define real action and implement impactful solutions with partners in policing, government, and industry across Ontario and its communities. Learn more here: www.peelpolice.ca/en/safety-tips/auto-theft-summit.aspx
Disclaimer:
Use and reliance on the Signal Blocking Pouch (“SBP”) is at your own risk. Compliance with the manufacturer’s instructions is required for effective use of the SBP. The SBP does not guarantee protection of your vehicle from theft. The Corporation of the City of Brampton shall not be liable in any way whatsoever for your use of or reliance on the SBP.
Generously sponsored by: Performance Auto Group
About Performance Auto Group
Headquartered in Brampton, Performance Auto Group (PAG) is a leading automotive retail group that has been part of the community for over 50 years. Representing 23 automotive brands in 38 dealerships, plus four collision centres, PAG employs more than 2,000 people across Ontario. PAG believes in giving back by positively impacting the communities in which its stakeholders live, work and raise families.
