Toronto residents are making a mockery of the Toronto police after the force made headlines asking residents to leave their car keys near their front doors to avoid violent interactions with robbers.
“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,” Const. Marco Ricciardi said during a community safety meeting in Etobicoke in February.
READ MORE: Safety or risk? Toronto police’s advice to leave car keys by front door draws criticism
“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 continued.
This caused an uproar for some residents who felt like they were being asked to comply with criminals and give up their possessions.
TikTok user Fady Ghali (@ghalifady) jokingly put up a sign on his front door that read, “No need to enter, keys are in the ignition for you.”
The video, which garnered three million views in just one week, also showed Ghali in a suit in the passenger seat offering some snacks and drinks, but not before thanking the thief for selecting his car.
“Thank you so much for choosing my car to steal today,” he said. “I’ve taken the liberty of turning the butt warmers on for you. The car has obviously been running just waiting for your arrival.”
“And the Toronto police will escort your car to the shipping container making sure its secured for safe sailing,” one user commented.
In another video posted to Instagram, Toronto resident Parmis Najmi went viral for setting up three car keys on a tray decked out with chocolate and fancy tea.
That video received over seven million views in one week.
“If that tea is too hot they can sue you for damages,” one person commented.
In other videos, people are seen offering Tim Hortons coffee and timbits along with their keys. Some even put their keys on the roof of their car for easier access.
According to the Toronto police website, it’s best to always remove the keys and take them with you, park in a well-lit area and turn your wheels towards the curb to make it harder to tow.
For more auto theft prevention tips (that don’t involve handing over your keys), click here.
