Auto thefts are on the rise in Barrie, Simcoe County and beyond.
According to data obtained by Village Media from Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation, Barrie has seen 389 vehicles reported permanently stolen between Nov. 1, 2021 through to Jan. 19 of this year.
And by "permanently stolen," this means owners have filed an insurance claim, reported the loss to the ministry and do not expect to ever recover their vehicles.
Across Canada, there were 34,861 vehicles stolen in the first half of 2023, with Ontario seeing the greatest number of thefts at 15,044, according to data from Equite Association, and reported recently by the Insurance Bureau of Canada.
“The Greater Toronto Area has been particularly affected by auto theft," says the report. "In Toronto alone, auto thefts have increased 34.3 per cent year-over-year in the first half of 2023."
Data from York Regional Police, meanwhile, shows an 82 per cent increase in auto theft when comparing the first half of 2023 to 2022, says the report.
As for Barrie, so far this year there have been 19 vehicle thefts reported to city police.
“Last year, we had over 300 (stolen) vehicles reported to us,” Barrie police communications co-ordinator Peter Leon told BarrieToday. “Simply stated, we averaged almost one car per calendar day.”
The number includes recovered vehicles, as well as those which are defined as permanently stolen.
Many of the thefts are selective and the vehicles being stolen are based upon a specific demand, Leon said.
“Since they are often made-to-order thefts, the success rate is very low,” he added. “Many of the vehicles are often containerized or stored out of sight before the owner has reported the theft to police.”
According to Leon, the three most targeted motor vehicles stolen are the RAM 1500 and Ford F-150 pickup trucks, as well as the Toyota Highlander — with the Lexus RX35 included, as it is built on the same frame as the Toyota.
As for combating auto thieves in the city, Barrie police say they have a program focused on addressing the problem.
“However, we do not share or speak to operational issues,” Leon said.
Just yesterday, however, city police announced they had made a major dent in local vehicle thefts. A months-long investigation by the Barrie police street crime unit led to the recovery of almost $650,000 worth of stolen vehicles and charges being laid against six people.
Barrie police also utilizes automated licence-plate recognition (ALPR) technology – a system that consists of cameras that automatically scan licence plates. The system is installed in or on police cruisers and alerts officers to stolen or expired plates, or plates registered to suspended drivers.
Owners are advised to take matters into their own hands in regards to mitigating auto thefts.
Leon recommends installing an ignition immobilizer, using tracking devices and implementing steering-wheel locking devices.
“Always lock the door, place key fobs in a Faraday pouch or box far away from the front door, park in the garage, use video surveillance cameras, and utilize security lighting (at night),” he added.
Faraday pouches work by containing the radio signals emitted by keyless entry fobs in a signal-blocking metallic lined bag. As long as the radio signals can't leave the pouch, the receiver used by thieves outside the home won't be able to pick them up and use the signals to unlock your vehicle.
