Carjackings in Toronto have more than doubled in 2024: police chief

Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw says three months into 2024, the city has already seen more than double the number of carjackings it did this time last year.

According to new statistics released Monday, Toronto police confirmed there have been 68 carjackings since Jan. 1 – a 106 per cent increase over the same time period in 2023.

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Demkiw said the city has witnessed an overall escalation of “violence, threats and intimidation” related to car theft, including suspects who use weapons to steal vehicles.

In total, police said the number of auto thefts in Toronto last year topped 12,200 vehicles.

"That's 34 vehicles every day. That's one every 40 minutes," Demkiw said at a news conference. "We know this is a concern for our communities and we are continuing to take action."

Auto theft has been an ongoing problem in the city and throughout Ontario for the last several years. In 2022, Toronto police data shows that 9,821 cars were stolen. In 2021, that number was 6,642.

As a result, in 2023, the Toronto Police Service and the Ontario Provincial Police teamed up to launch the Provincial Carjacking Joint Task Force (PCJTF) to combat the issue.

Since Sept. 21, 2023, Toronto police said the unit has arrested 121 suspects, laid 730 charges and recovered 157 stolen vehicles.

Demkiw added that break-and-enters related to auto theft are also on the rise and have already climbed to 34 incidents so far this year, eclipsing the 22 reported incidents for all of 2023.

The updated statistics from Toronto police follow clarified guidance from the force last week on break-and-enters related to auto theft.

The force issued the advisory in response to an officer who told residents to leave their car keys at the front door to prevent home invasions. Police said although the advice was “well-meaning” there are “better ways to prevent auto theft-motivated home invasions.” 

Demkiw acknowledged the force has received some “backlash” following the officer’s comments on Feb. 27 and stressed the ongoing efforts by police to combat break-and-enters related to auto theft in the city.

"…We continue our efforts to not only disrupt but actually arrest, apprehend, and hold people accountable who are committing these types of crimes and we're doing so on a very significant scale,” he said.

The chief pointed reporters to the Toronto Police Service’s website for tips on how to prevent home invasions.