55 break-ins a day, that’s a lot. Protect you’reself by keeping GPS units, laptops, cellphones, tools, even sunglasses and loose change out of sight in your car when you park it. Red cars are also more likely to get stolen/broken-in to. But,regardless of what colour car you have, it won’t hurt to tuck away your iphone, blackberry (if you can part with it) and other things. Even sunglasses it says, so watchout!
March 31, 2010, San Grewal
There were more than 55 automobile break-ins a day in Toronto last year.
And police say it is often the fault of the victims who leave electronics, sports equipment, work tools and clothes piled inside their cars.
“There’s a lot of apathy out there,” says Toronto police Staff-Sgt. Peter Henry, who has been part of 53 Division’s “Project Satellite.”
The investigation got its name because of the hottest item thieves look for these days: satellite-assisted global positioning systems. The popularity of the small units found inside many cars is part of the reason why automobile-content theft increased 16 per cent in Toronto in 2009, compared to 2008. Last year, there were 20,236 thefts from vehicles in Toronto.
“We’ve already seen that trend continue this year, according to our crime analyst,” Henry says. “It’s probably increased quite a bit over the past few years with all the electronic gadgets now available.”
A walk through three downtown parking lots Tuesday revealed a grab bag of items on open display in the backs of cars, on front seats and rear dashes, and in the trunks of SUVs and minivans.
“My tools are worth about $1,500,” said Joseph Davieau, a subcontractor walking to his green minivan. It was parked in a lot just off Lake Shore Blvd. and Yonge St. The tool boxes were sitting in the back of the van.
“It’s a little hard to see with the tinted windows. I haven’t been broken into in 20 years.”
That’s the kind of lax attitude on security that makes Rick Dubin cringe.
“We know what thieves look for: GPS units, laptops, cellphones, tools, even sunglasses and loose change,” said the Insurance Bureau of Canada’s vice-president of investigations.
When asked if Torontonians really are as casual about their security as Michael Moore depicted in his 2002 movie Bowling For Columbine, which features the filmmaker walking into an unlocked Toronto home, Dubin described a recent exercise.
“I parked my vehicle at a certain well-known doughnut place. I counted five individuals that went in (and) left their vehicles running while they grabbed their coffee.”
Tags: high-tech electronics, News
