Ontario government wants to give police authority to search for, seize electronic tools used by car thieves

In its fight against auto theft, the Ontario government is proposing new legislation that would allow police to search for and seize keyless electronic devices used to steal cars.

At a news conference in Brampton Tuesday, Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria told reporters the province would soon table a bill to amend the Highway Traffic Act so police can crack down on items like key fob programming devices, fob scanners and smartphone apps.

"This will give police the strong tools they need to keep these devices off the streets," Sarkaria said. "Let me be clear, anyone using these devices to steal a vehicle will face the full consequences of their actions."

Lawful use of these devices by auto dealers, repair services and roadside assistance would be exempt, he said.

Auto thefts in Ontario have been trending down over the past year, Sarkaria said, with a 16 per cent drop in 2024 compared to 2023. But he said the new bill would address a growing trend of thieves using keyless technology to steal cars.

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Though the amplitude of the problem is still significant, it appears efforts to curb car thefts in the country have begun to pay off. Canada’s insurance crime watchdog says thefts dropped about 18 per cent in 2024 across the country and almost 33 per cent in Quebec.

Peel police Deputy Chief Nick Milinovich told reporters that law enforcement welcomes the support.

"It is another step forward in supporting our community and our service in the critical work that they do every day to dismantle organized crime and hold offenders accountable," he said.

Peel Region was dubbed the "auto theft capital of Canada" at a national summit on auto theft last year. The region had the most cars stolen per capita in the country in 2023, according to police data.

The province will also establish a new team dedicated to supporting police in auto theft hot spots around Ontario, Sarkaria said, including Toronto, Ottawa, London, Brampton, Newmarket, Durham and Windsor. It would provide legal advice, support prosecutors and help dismantle organized crime in those areas, Sarkaria said.

That's in addition to a provincial carjacking task force created in the fall of 2023.