Vaughan launches pilot project to help fight auto theft

With community safety a top priority for the City of Vaughan, swift action is being taken to fight the growing number of auto thefts in the community and across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area.

At the April 25 Council meeting, Council unanimously approved Mayor Steven Del Duca’s Member’s Resolution (PDF), which tasked City staff with developing recommendations for a pilot program to distribute key fob protective bags to residents as a measure to help deter criminals.

Thousands of bags are now available for Vaughan residents to claim on a first-come-first-serve basis.  Today, Mayor Del Duca and Members of Council unveiled this program at Vellore Village Community Centre – one of the many locations where you can get your pouch. They can be picked up at any community centre while supplies last.

When you come, you will be asked to show your driver’s licence with a Vaughan home address and to sign a release of liability form. They will be handed out one-per-person.

Studies have shown that key fob protective bags can block thieves from reading radio frequencies in car key fobs. While the bags are one method to safeguard your vehicle, you are encouraged to do your own research and take the appropriate steps you believe will best protect your property.

Here are some tips from York Regional Police (YRP):

• Do not leave your vehicle running while unattended.
• Maintain control of your keys at all times.
• Always lock your vehicle, even while in the driveway.
• When possible, park your vehicle in a locked garage.
• Don't leave keys hanging inside the door, especially if they can be seen from outside.
• Ensure valuables are in the trunk or out of view.

To learn more, visit YRP’s Home Security and Protection webpage. If you believe your vehicle has been stolen, contact York Regional Police to file a report. You should also contact your insurance company to file a claim.

The City continues to collaborate with key stakeholders, community groups and all levels of government to ensure Vaughan remains a safe place to live, work and visit.

Mayor Steven Del Duca recently wrote to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau calling on the federal government to urgently modernize Canada's bail system to ensure that dangerous offenders are kept off our streets for committing crimes ranging from gun violence to home break-ins and auto thefts. The Mayor further wrote to Canada’s Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino on auto thefts asking what protocols are used by the Canadian Border Services Agency for the screening and/or inspection of exports leaving our country. This correspondence urged the federal government to consider reviewing their processes, in collaboration with Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) police services and other law enforcement partners, to ensure that Canada’s approach is consistent with established best practices. As well, the Mayor advocated in a letter to Ontario’s Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy for the province to introduce a Home and Vehicle Security Tax Credit to provide savings for people to make critical investments in security devices.

QUOTE

“Vaughan has always been a safe place to live and raise a family, and our partners at York Regional Police, along with our residents, work hard day in and day out to ensure this remains the case. However, we know that keyless ignition vehicles are now the prime targets of car thieves, so I am pleased that Council has endorsed a pilot program to distribute protective pouches for car keys. These pouches reduce a thief’s ability to intercept a key’s radio frequency – hopefully reducing the number of auto thefts in our city. We will continue to work with our municipal counterparts in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, other levels of government, police services and others to fight auto theft in our community.”

- Mayor Steven Del Duca

QUICK FACTS

• Today, Mayor Steven Del Duca and Members of Council launched this pilot project at Vellore Village Community Centre to help fight auto theft.
• The City is offering thousands of key fob protective bags, which are available to claim on a first-come-first-serve basis at City community centres. There is a limit of one per person.
• When a resident comes to get their fob, they will be asked to show their driver’s licence with a Vaughan home address and to sign a release of liability form. The waiver releases the City of any liability if the key fob bag is faulty or is not used correctly.
• Community safety and well-being is a top-of-mind city-building priority for the City of Vaughan as outlined in the Council-approved 2022-2026 Term of Council Service Excellence Strategic Plan.

LEARN MORE

• City of Vaughan’s key fob protective bag webpage