On March 27, the Toronto Police College, Staff Superintendent Pauline Gray of Detective Operations, and Superintendent Steve Watts of Organized Crime Enforcement announced the results of a vehicle theft investigation dubbed “Project Paranoid.”
Forty-eight vehicles were seized during the operation: 20 in Burlington, Ont., as a result of a joint effort with the Halton Regional Police Service at a shipper location; five purchased by undercover officers; three located during the execution of search warrants; and 20 intercepted in Toronto and Montréal with the assistance of the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).
“Project Paranoid demonstrates the resources that the Toronto Police Service is dedicating to tackling the auto theft epidemic — and the positive results of this work,” said Staff Superintendent Pauline Gray in a statement. “It also demonstrates the importance of collaboration among stakeholders to address an issue that is impacting the safety and well-being of our communities.”
Equité Association’s Bryan Gast, VP of Investigative Services, took part in the March 27 announcement. Project Paranoid focused on the trafficking, shipping and re-vinning of stolen vehicles. Funding from the Government of Ontario was used to have Criminal Intelligence Service Ontario (CISO) support the Toronto Police joint investigation.
However, as funding and partnerships from various sources continue to help these types of investigations, an April 13 CTV News story highlights how unsafe consumers feel and how frustrated they are. Some consumers in the Greater Toronto Area are looking at their legal options to sue automakers.
“Why is it on the consumer to protect ourselves? Vehicles are big investments, so why are they so easily stolen?” said auto theft victim Laura Paquette in the CTV News report. “Why do I have to go to extremes to prevent that?” According to the report, Paquette called for automakers to face “accountability.”
In a news release, Equité Association’s Bryan Gast said Toronto’s population, high volume of targeted vehicles, and its proximity to the Port of Montréal, makes for a city that is particularly vulnerable to organized criminal network auto theft situations. “These crimes hurt our communities and put the people of Ontario at risk,” he said.
