toronto police car theft

Toronto Police are basically telling people to let thieves steal their cars

Toronto Police have once again left residents in the city wondering whose side they're on after issuing some confusing advice to vehicle owners at a community safety meeting last month.

Toronto's rising car theft problem has been no secret to those living in the city for some time, and it's even getting so bad that international news outlets have begun to report on it, but according to TPS Constable Marco Ricciardi, maybe we should just let the thieves take our cars.

At an Etobicoke safety meeting attended by the constable, new advice was given to vehicle owners in the city: make it easier for thieves to access your keys.

"To prevent the possibility of being attacked in your home, leave your fobs at your front door, because they're breaking into your home to steal your car. They don't want anything else," said Ricciardi at the meeting.

The sentiment behind the new advice is good, particularly in light of worries about potentially violent break-ins. Is it better to lose your car than potentially lose your life? I'd say so.

Still, the question lingering in the minds of many Toronto residents after the meeting was simple: how is this the best option?

Some Toronto residents have already taken this approach to heart, though, like one person who left a note on their car window informing potential thieves that the doors were unlocked in an effort not to have their windows smashed.

This message comes on the heels of some other ambiguous messaging from the Toronto Police when it comes to criminals.

Last month, they launched a campaign protesting budget cuts by informing criminals exactly how long they'd have to complete their crime before police would appear at the scene.

With one car stolen roughly every six minutes in Canada, it doesn't look like the problem will be solved any time soon, so locking up your car and just taking the TTC might actually be the best option for the time being... which is pretty bleak indeed.

Lead photo by

Eltonlaw/Shutterstock


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