High-end vehicle thefts up in midtown, police warn
Residential areas in 53 Division have experienced a hike in high-end vehicle thefts, police say.
The primary targets for the thieves include Lexus and Toyota SUVs, as well as Land Rovers, in the division, which covers most of the midtown Toronto area — including North Toronto, Forest Hill, Leaside and Rosedale.
“The suspects are using various methods to reprogram or rekey the vehicle and then driving off from the area with little to no damage caused,” a police news release said today.
And the thefts are not just happening at night but also occur late afternoon and evening hours, police said.
Police offer some steps to foil the car thieves:
- Park the vehicle inside or park a secondary car behind the possible target vehicle.
- Use steering wheel immobilizing devices.
- Keep car keys away from the front door and inside a closed metal container or Faraday box.
- Cover the vehicle identification number on the driver’s side dash with a piece of paper.
- Purchase locks for 0nboard diagnostics (OBD) ports of the vehicles.
- Consider investing in GPS or immobilization devices.
