In an attempt to diminish the increase in auto theft crimes across the province, the Ford government plans to suspend some driver’s licences for people convicted of the offences.
Ontario’s Minister of Transportation, Prabmeet Sarkaria, will make the announcement alongside Solicitor General Michael Kerzner in Toronto on Tuesday morning.
Legislation is expected to be tabled on Thursday that would suspend the licences of repeat offenders and convicted auto thieves for life depending on certain factors, such as the use of a weapon or force or the theft being motivated by financial gain.
Once in effect, anyone convicted of an auto theft crime could face a 10-year licence suspension for a first offence, a 15-year suspension for a second offence, and a lifetime suspension for a third offence.
Auto thefts have risen significantly across the province. In March, OPP Deputy Commissioner Marty Kearns called the number of motor vehicle thefts in Ontario “unprecedented,” with nearly 3,000 vehicles reported stolen at the time of the press conference.
Motor vehicle thefts, carjackings an issue in Toronto and GTA
Thieves have been targeting relatively new vehicles, including high-end pickup trucks and SUVs, which they then export to markets in Asia, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and South America.
In Toronto, Police Chief Myron Demkiw cited statistics indicating that more than 12,000 vehicles were stolen last year. That amounts to 34 vehicles daily or one vehicle stolen every 40 minutes. The province says that in Ontario, a car is stolen every 48 minutes.
Cases of violent carjackings exploded in the Toronto area between 2021 and 2023, and police have cited concerns about how quickly criminals can steal cars by using various methods to override anti-theft technology, including hacking onboard diagnostics.
“We have had 68 carjackings so far in 2024. That’s a 106 per cent increase compared to the same period last year,” said Demkiw.
One year ago, the Ford government committed $51 million over three years to combat auto thefts aimed at dismantling organized crime groups and bringing criminals to justice.