2024-04-14 07:52:30
Kamran Hussain moved to Canada in 2017. Seven years later, one January morning, he woke up to find his Toyota Highlander missing. The thief had smashed the windows of the vehicle to gain entry.
The employee of a telecommunications company says he chose Canada because he thought he could live there in complete safety. The nation’s epidemic of vehicle theft now has him questioning that belief.
Is he thinking of leaving the country? I’m looking at options, he replies. I had left my country, India, because of the instability. So, all these break-ins and the increase in crime are a source of great concern to me.
The increase in vehicle thefts is accompanied by an increase in home invasions, violent robberies and gun violence in the greater Toronto area, Queen City police say.
Equity Association, a national organization founded by insurance companies, says that for the first time in Ontario, the total value of stolen vehicles exceeded $1 billion last year.
Sue the builders?
Laura Paquette, a social worker from the greater Toronto area, also saw her vehicle stolen. On January 10, around 4 a.m., thieves managed to unlock the doors of his SUV before leaving with the vehicle.
I was in shock. I woke up my partner and told him, ‘Someone is stealing our truck.’ We went downstairs and he was gone.
A quote from Laura Paquette
She wonders how easily the thieves were able to take her SUV. She would like car manufacturers to accept some form of responsibility.
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Purchasing a vehicle is a big investment. So why is it so easy to steal them? Why should I consider a radical solution to prevent theft?”,”text”:”Why is it up to consumers to protect themselves? she asks. “Purchasing a vehicle is a big investment. So why is it so easy to steal them? Why should I consider a radical solution to prevent theft?”}}”>Why is it up to consumers to protect themselves? she asks. “Purchasing a vehicle is a big investment. So why is it so easy to steal them? Why should I consider a radical solution to prevent a theft?, she continues.
Police eventually found his vehicle, but major repairs were required. She also had to spend $2,000 on a rental car and continue paying insurance for her stolen SUV.
Car manufacturers, she believes, must be held accountable. She explores possible legal remedies.
Organized crime involved
The City of Toronto Police Service and Bryan Gast, vice-president, investigative service at the Équité Association, associate the rise in thefts with organized crime.
Toronto Police Superintendent Pauline Gray says vehicle thefts are among the top three sources of income for organized crime.
Bryan Gast praised the coordination work of the different police forces to respond to the thieves, but the success of the enterprise can only be measured on one dimension.
The goal is to reverse the trend, flatten the curve to a flat line and, ultimately, see a decline, concludes Bryan Gast.
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