Toronto police combatting car theft with camera-equipped cars that scan for stolen license plates
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Toronto Police investigators have beefed up their arsenal within the battle towards automotive thieves.
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They’re now utilizing automobiles that look just about like regular police cruisers, besides the autos are geared up with roof cameras as a substitute of flashing lights.
The automobiles, pushed by parking enforcement officers, roam the town’s streets utilizing infrared cameras to take footage of each automobile they arrive throughout with the purpose of discovering licence plates which might be reported stolen.
Licence plate recognition software spots stolen plates instantly, and officers then observe up.
As of March 1, there had been 1,306 circumstances of auto theft in 2022, based on TPS public safety data. Throughout the identical time interval, there have been 919 automobile thefts final 12 months, 933 in 2020, and 876 in 2019.
Toronto Police tips to safeguard your vehicle, include parking in well-lit areas, locking all valuables within the trunk, and protecting your automobile in a locked storage when at residence, if potential.
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Councillor Mike Colle in December known as on the province to create a devoted police unit to lower auto thefts.
Colle cited Insurance coverage Bureau of Canada statistics that vehicle theft claims in Ontario elevated 55% between 2016 and 2020.
There have been some latest successes, with a multi-jurisdictional bust ensuing within the restoration of 200 stolen autos and the arrest of 24 individuals within the GTA and Montreal.
And on Feb. 1, “Challenge Taurus,” an eight-month investigation, resulted in seven arrests of individuals alleged to be in a “considerably refined” group answerable for at the very least 28 carjackings of high-end autos in Toronto.
Toronto Police say probably the most generally stolen autos are Honda CR-Vs, Lexus RX 350s and Honda Civics.
