Ontario Premier Doug Ford has had enough with the province’s increasing car theft problem and has a strong message for the culprits.
During a news conference in Aurora on Wednesday, the premier and Canada’s Minister of Public Safety Dominic LeBlanc announced a federal investment of $121 million to tackle gun crime and gang violence in Ontario. This investment includes cracking down on growing car thefts through the Initiative to take Action Against Gun and Gang Violence (ITAAGGV).
The ITAAGGV is part of a five-year plan that includes $390 million in programs to go towards reducing gun crime and gang violence across the country.
“We’re coming after you. We’re going to catch you and you’re going to jail. Simple as that. We’re going to keep you in jail as long as we possibly can,” Ford said.
“I will not spare one resource to make sure we go after these thugs and make sure that they’re going to jail,” he continued.
According to the Canadian Finance and Leasing Association (CFLA), approximately 9,600 vehicles were stolen in Toronto alone in 2022, representing a 300 per cent increase since 2015.
Additionally, police services in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) have observed a combined 104 per cent increase in carjackings from 2021 to 2022, based on findings by the Criminal Intelligence Service Canada (CISC).
Overall in Ontario, rates of car theft rose by 48.3 per cent in 2022, compared to the previous year.
During the press conference, Ford also pointed out that he recognizes the unprecedented rate of crime rising in the GTA.
He says he has seen the numerous videos circulating online of individuals breaking in and stealing car keys and understands why residents are living in fear.
“I’ve talked to friends that are sleeping with baseball bats beside their bed because someone’s going to kick the door in and put a gun to their head and say, hand over your keys,” he shared.
The premier says he’s using all levels of government to keep residents safe and bring justice to the community.
“We each have a role to play. For our part, our government is making the necessary investments to ensure that our police services have the tools and the resources they need,” he said.
