As we approach the start of Crime Prevention Week on November 5, Peel Regional Police (PRP) has been actively engaging with the community on organized auto thefts and promoting preventative measures. We also wanted to share an update on the current situation in Peel Region.
Auto theft and its prevention continue to be a top priority for PRP. Our Commercial Auto Crime Unit has doubled from six to twelve members, becoming one of the largest auto crime units in the province. It has further enhanced investigative measures and enforcement abilities, collaborating with police partners province-wide to crack down on auto theft.
As of October 31, 2023, PRP has successfully recovered over $130M worth of stolen vehicles, with a recovery rate of over 40%.
To date, there has been 5,888 of auto thefts reported in Peel Region. This number has exceeded last year’s figure, which totaled 5,518 auto thefts in 2022.
| Year | Auto Theft | Recovered Vehicles | Carjacking |
| 2023 (To date) | 6,121 | 2,369 | 76 |
| 2022 | 5,518 | 2,516 | 99 |
| 2021 | 3,771 | 1,837 | 59 |
| 2020 | 3,025 | 1,738 | N/A |
In addition, PRP’s Central Robbery Bureau (CRB) has seen a recent upward trend involving the carjacking and auto theft of food service delivery vehicles and personal transportation drivers, with 20 carjacking involving ride-share or delivery drivers as of August 30, 2023, since the start of the year.
In addition to local enforcement efforts, we are committed to identifying opportunities to strengthen measures at the provincial and federal levels to combat auto thefts. Deputy Chief Nick Milinovich recently traveled to the Port of Montreal with members of PRP’s Commercial Auto Crime Bureau to connect and discuss vulnerabilities around the export of stolen vehicles from Canada.
This visit identified opportunities that could help address PRP’s efforts toward auto theft recoveries. PRP will continue to work with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) to ensure that auto theft is a priority and to allocate the necessary resources to inspect containers leaving the port.
Crime prevention is a crucial component in reducing instances of vehicle theft and carjacking. Throughout Crime Prevention Week, from November 5-11, PRP will share crime prevention tips to empower the community to keep themselves and their loved ones safe. To learn more, please visit www.peelpolice.ca/crimeprevention.