Auto Theft

Our Service (HRPS) is committed to combatting auto theft at home and beyond. To do so, we are devoting considerable resources to a multi-pronged approach, which includes response, education, partnerships, and social development.

Response - In January 2023, we launched a Regional Auto Theft Task Force comprised of dedicated investigators from across the organization. In its first four months in operation, the team recovered almost 400 stolen vehicles, arrested more than 50 individuals, and laid nearly 240 related criminal charges. The group, which is part of Regional Investigative Services, is now known as the Organized Crime Unit.

For the latest auto theft news and information, subscribe to receive media releases or follow us @HaltonPolice on X (Twitter), Facebook, and/or Instagram. 

Education - Efforts are ongoing to educate members of the public on measures they can take to help prevent their vehicle(s) from being stolen. These include dedicated social media campaigns, organizing town halls, and issuing targeted letters to owners of vehicles most at risk.

Partnerships - In recognition of the complex, transborder nature of auto theft, and to ensure the best response to it, we have – and continue to – partner with police agencies throughout Ontario, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and RCMP, all levels of government, with manufacturers, as well as with insurance bureaus.

Earlier this year, our Service joined law enforcement agencies and industry stakeholders at a national Auto Theft Summit aimed at strategically targeting auto thieves.

We also launched Project Oxygen.

Project Oxygen, a partnership with automobile dealerships in Oakville, Burlington, and Milton, encourages residents to place third-party trackers (such as an Apple Air Tag, Tile, Galaxy Smart Tag or Atuvos) inside their vehicles to increase their chance of being recovered in the event they are stolen. Read the Project Oxygen media release to learn more.

Social Development - We have also included auto theft as part of our educational outreach to youth in Halton schools who may be vulnerable to recruitment by organized car thieves.

Figures released in our Service’s 2023 Annual Report revealed that in the past year alone, more than 1,700 vehicles were stolen, an increase of more than 30% from 2022:

• 2024 – 1,186 (as of October 21) 
• 2023 – 1,701
• 2022 – 1,302
• 2021 – 765
• 2020 – 466
• 2019 – 481
• 2018 – 461

Please visit our Crime Map to see what's happening in your neighbourhood.

The three most common ways vehicles are currently stolen and re-sold are through reprogramming, re-vinning, home entries targeting keys, and carjacking.

Reprogramming

In this most common type of auto theft, thieves target high-end, newer-model vehicles with keyless entry and push-start technology. The majority of these vehicles are parked in residential driveways and are taken during the overnight hours.

Reprogramming thefts occur when thieves take an image of an automobile’s Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) – which is visible through the front windshield – and pre-load it into a reprogramming device. Vehicles are then entered by force to access their diagnostic system/electronic control modules. Within minutes, thieves are able to reprogram a vehicle, activate its ignition, and drive off. Many of the vehicles are driven to the Port of Montreal or are loaded into cargo containers in Toronto and transported to Montreal by rail. The stolen vehicles are then shipped overseas for re-sale.

Re-vinning

Re-vinning involves changing an automobile’s Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) to a fraudulent/fabricated number to conceal the fact that it is has been stolen.

Ontario Motor Vehicle Industry Council (OMVIC) administers and enforces the Motor Vehicle Dealers Act, as well as relevant sections of the Consumer Protection Act on behalf of Ontario’s Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery (MPBSD). Its aim to protect the rights of consumers and to ensure fair, honest, and open competition for registered motor vehicle dealers.

For steps you can take to help prevent and/or avoid falling victim when purchasing a pre-used vehicle, visit OMVIC: Buying a New or Used Cars in Ontario | Car Buying Tips

Home Entries Targeting Keys

A more recent auto theft trend emerging in Halton and throughout the GTA involves thieves entering unoccupied and/or occupied homes in search of the keys to select high-end, luxury vehicles. These brands, which include Mercedes and Range Rover, among others, are equipped with systems that are harder for thieves to bypass through reprogramming, making their keys valuable targets in and among themselves.

Carjacking

Carjackings involve the often violent theft of a vehicle while it is occupied by its driver. Although incidents are on the decline in Halton, they do occur from time to time. While carjackings can appear random, these crimes frequently occur in commercial areas, on streets and intersections, as well as parking lots where vehicles are stopped and are vulnerable to potential carjackers. Once carjackers identify a vehicle, tactics used can include a quick "bump" of the vehicle in an effort to stage a collision and distract the driver. A vehicle may also be blocked on a busy street or at an intersection to prevent its escape. Drivers may also be approached in parking lots as they walk toward or enter their vehicle.

See our Carjacking Postcard for tips on how to protect yourself from a potential carjacking.

There are a number of measures you can take to decrease the chance of losing your vehicle to auto theft:

• Install an after-market GPS tracking device (this is currently the number one theft deterrent)

• Park your vehicle in a locked garage
• Block the exit of a potential target vehicle with a second vehicle of lesser value parked behind it
• Purchase and use a steering wheel lock device
• Install an on-board diagnostic blocker/protector
• Install a kill switch in your vehicle 

You can take further steps to help safeguard your home from entry targeting vehicle keys:

• Ensure that your residence and its surrounding area are well lit

• Trim hedges so that your home is visible to neighbours and passerby
• Install audible alarms
• Install home security cameras on the exterior of your residence and position them to ensure they capture images of anyone on your property
• Lock all vehicles and access doors to your home

Finally, you can reduce the likelihood of purchasing a re-vinned vehicle:

• Confirm the seller’s identity. Check the individual’s identification and proof of ownership.
• Do your research. Order a vehicle history report before purchasing.
• Avoid cash purchases. Issue a cheque to the registered owner.
• Get the vehicle inspected by a trusted mechanic or manufacturer’s dealership before buying it. A re-vinned vehicle can be detected through inspection programs.
• Don’t avoid taxes. Request a receipt that includes the seller’s information.
• Carefully review the Used Vehicle Information Package (UVIP) that sellers must provide. Ensure all pages are enclosed.
• Ask questions. How long was the vehicle owned? Are there maintenance records? Why are you selling?
• Do not let anyone else register the vehicle for you.
• Consider the price. If the deal is too good to be true, it probably is.

Tips provided by Ontario Motor Vehicle Industry Council (OMVIC)

Help us help you. We need you to be our eyes and ears. 

Call 911 immediately if you witness a crime in progress.

Dial 905-825-4777 if your vehicle is stolen or if you see suspicious vehicles or people (unfamiliar, unusual, loitering) in your neighbourhood.

Tips can also be submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers. "See something? Hear something? Know something? Contact Crime Stoppers" at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.ca.

For the latest auto theft news and information, subscribe to receive media releases or follow us @HaltonPolice on X (Twitter), Facebook, and/or Instagram. 

• Ontario Motor Vehicle Industry Council (OMVIC)