Significant increase in car thefts in 2022 has victims and industry experts calling for action

It took about 30 seconds for thieves to steal Dave Hutchinson’s vehicle from its underground parking spot at his downtown Toronto condo.

He asked the janitor to see the surveillance video once he discovered his Range Rover was missing.

Footage showed a white van approaching his vehicle, someone got out and within seconds they were driving him out of the parking lot.

« The fact that they did it so easily, they didn’t break any glass, they didn’t break anything…it’s terrible, » he said.

Hutchinson said he has a handful of friends who have also had their cars stolen this year.

In Toronto alone, more than 8,000 vehicles were reported stolen in 2022. This number is up from approximately 5,600 stolen vehicles in 2021.

« This is a serious issue, » said David Adams, president and CEO of Global Automakers of Canada. « I think what we’re seeing more and more is a symptom of organized crime efforts. »

Adams said the cars were targeted, stolen and then shipped overseas to meet high demand.

« The reality is that every time automakers put mechanisms in place to try to thwart vehicle theft, thieves are pretty much one step ahead, » he said.

One of the most common ways for thieves to steal cars is to use an electronic device to factory reset a car – to hack into a car’s computer and reprogram it to accept the key you want. they brought with them. Hutchinson thinks that’s how his car was stolen.

Adams said automakers are trying to make it harder for vehicles to be stolen, which in turn leads to more carjackings and home break-ins because thieves have to physically retrieve keys.

« It’s not to take away the responsibility of automakers to keep improving technology to reduce vehicle theft, but I think the reality is that it’s a supply and demand issue. «

He hopes local and federal law enforcement and international seaports will look more seriously at ways to make it harder for people to send stolen vehicles overseas.

It’s not just automakers trying to find ways to stop people from stealing vehicles — security companies are designing technology to help deter or at least identify thieves.

Raven Connected has designed a video telematics device that is connected to the vehicle’s internal computer. When the device detects movement, a camera placed on the dashboard records and transmits the images and video to an application on the user’s mobile phone.

It also transmits a GPS signal so that the user can track the vehicle.

« Having that real-time visibility on the front camera and the cab-facing camera makes a huge difference, » said Travis Gray, business development manager for Raven Connected.

He said he had clients whose vehicles had been stolen, but with the device they were able to track the car, capture videos and images, which were shared with local police and resulted in an arrest and charges.

The police recommend certain measures to keep your vehicle safe, including:

• Obtain a steering wheel lock or an automatic engine stop.
• Cover or block your vehicle information number when parked.
• Store vehicle keys or fobs away from house windows and doors.
• If you have a second vehicle, park it directly behind the more targeted one.

Hutchinson said he doesn’t believe drivers should go that far to ensure their vehicle isn’t stolen.

When purchasing his new vehicle, he instead decided to choose a car that was not on Equity’s Top 10 Stolen Vehicles list. Équité is a non-profit association fighting against insurance fraud.

Some of the most frequently stolen vehicles on their list include the Honda CR-V, Lexus RX, and Ford F150 series.

« It’s scary because you put a lot of your hard work and hard-earned money into this vehicle, » he said.

« I don’t understand why people are still buying the vehicles if they are known targeted vehicles. »