Free auto theft prevention tools giveaway coming to combat Ontario car thieves
Published March 28, 2024 at 11:21 am
Several Ontario police forces will be giving away free auto theft prevention tools through a new program thanks in part to $492,000 in funding from the province.
The new initiative launching next week is called Project CLASP, and will see members of the OPP Highway Safety Division, Rama Police and Peterborough Police team up in four areas to try and curb the rising number of auto thefts in Ontario – enforcement, training, intelligence, and public awareness.
The OPP is inviting members of the public to meet-and-greet information sessions to kick off the collaborative project at the ONroute in King City and the Southfields Community Centre in Caledon.
The event is open to the public for residents to ask questions, view demonstrations and get free auto theft prevention tools. Project CLASP comes following Ontario’s pledge to commit $18 million over three years in the fight against auto theft.
Approximately 6,000 vehicles were reported stolen in Mississauga and Brampton in 2022, with another 4,482 thefts in Mississauga and 3,178 in Brampton last year for a total of 7,660.
The province has launched an auto theft and carjacking task force to tackle the rising number of thefts and some municipalities have taken action against thieves, like Brampton’s auto theft pilot project which saw a 37 per cent decrease in auto thefts in the pilot areas in the first six months of the project.
Videos
Peel Regional Police have also doubled its auto theft enforcement unit following the inaugural auto theft summit last year.
Project CLASP launches on April 2 at the Southfields Community Centre and ONroute in King City from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
insauga's Editorial Standards and Policies advertising