To help protect Ontario communities and crack down on crime, your Ontario PC government is introducing legislation to amend the Highway Traffic Act to give police the authority to search for and seize electronic devices that are intended to be used for vehicle theft. This would give law enforcement stronger tools to get keyless theft technology off the streets and out of the hands of criminals.
Thanks to the combined efforts of law enforcement and government, vehicle theft in Ontario dropped by 16 per cent in 2024. But criminals are adapting, more frequently using keyless entry technology (including key fob programming devices, fob scanners, and certain smartphone apps) to steal cars from unsuspecting victims.
The Ontario PC government is also establishing a dedicated Major Auto Theft Prosecution Response Team to target crime hotspots across Ontario, such as Ottawa, Toronto, Brampton, Newmarket, Durham, London and Windsor. This team will provide legal advice and prosecutorial support to police services to help dismantle organized crime networks, hold offenders accountable and crack down on carjackings and home invasions.