Ontario introduces legislation to crack down on auto theft

The Ontario government has introduced new legislation to fight auto theft and crack down on car thieves.

The legislation would amend the Highway Traffic Act to give police the authority to search for and seize electronic devices intended to be used for vehicle theft.

“No matter where you live, every family deserves peace of mind knowing their homes – and their vehicles – are safe,” said Prabmeet Sarkaria, Minister of Transportation.

“By cracking down on these illegal devices, we’re disrupting criminal activity and giving police the tools they need to stop thefts before they happen, helping keep our communities safe for everyone.”

This new legislation would allow police to search for and seize items used for car theft such as key fob programming devices, fob scanners and some smartphone applications.

The government says that criminals are increasingly using keyless entry technology to steal cars from unsuspecting victims.

Vehicle theft in Ontario saw a 16 per cent decrease in 2024.

A dedicated Major Auto Theft Prosecution Response Team is being permanently established by the province to focus on crime hotposts such as Ottawa, Toronto, Brampton, Newmarket, Durham, London and Windsor.

“In the last year, the Major Auto Theft Prosecution Response Team has taken on over 80 prosecutions and provided legal advice on over 20 major investigations across Ontario related to more than 1,700 stolen or targeted vehicles,” said Sarkaria.

These measures are intended to build on previous work done by the provincial government to tackle auto theft in Ontario.

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