Toronto residents are feeling confused after police advised them to leave their car keys near their front doors to avoid violent interactions with car thieves.
In a community safety meeting in Etobicoke last month, Const. Marco Ricciardi told residents to leave their car key fobs by their front doors or in a convenient place for car thieves to access in case of an invasion.
“To prevent the possibility of being attacked in your home, leave your fobs at the front door because they are breaking into your home to steal your car; they don’t want anything else,” he said.
“A lot of them that they’re arresting have guns on them and they are not toy guns. “They are real guns. They’re loaded,” he added.
Although police say the intention was to provide useful tips to prevent residents from being attacked, his advice is being met with some criticism and confusion.
“The new auto theft prevention tactic is to ease auto theft?” one user on X said.
“Over a BILLION dollars a year so Toronto Police can deliver super duper advice like, “Make it easier for people to steal your car. Total, ground-up police reform NOW,” another user said.
“This is bizarre, Toronto Police advising the public to leave your fobs near the door. They suggest this because invaders are primarily entering homes to steal your cars. Why not hang your keys outside the door? Or better yet, just leave them in the car,” read another post.
“Just leave them in the ignition,” one user chimed in.
“Maybe I should leave the keys on the dash….How about enforcing theft laws,” another user said.
In response to the criticism, police issued a news release Wednesday night providing alternative auto theft home invasion prevention tips.
“An officer at a recent community meeting suggested that people leave the keys to their vehicle in a faraday bag by the front door. While well meaning, there are also other ways to prevent auto theft motivated home invasions,” reads the release.
The force added that the number of home invasions and break and enters for auto theft rose a whopping 400 per cent in 2023.
“Police are concerned about an escalation in violence, where all sorts of weapons and firearms are being used to steal vehicles, and that includes during home invasions,” the release added.
Some recommendations police provided include parking vehicles in the garage, installing security cameras, ensuring your driveway is well lit with the exterior lights kept on and installing multipoint door locks on your doors, among other tips.
