Toronto Police Spark Backlash With Car Theft Prevention Tip

Toronto Police gave residents surprising advice by asking them to leave their car keys at their front doors so as to reduce the risk of getting attacked by thieves in their homes. Per City News Toronto, Cst. Marco Ricciardi gave the advice while speaking to residents at an Etobicoke safety meeting last month.

According to Ricciardi, if residents leave their key fobs in spots convenient for thieves to take outside their homes, they can avoid the physical attack that could come with the thieves coming inside their homes to get it.

“To prevent the possibility of being attacked in your home, leave your fobs at the front door because they are breaking into your home to steal your car; they don’t want anything else. A lot of them that they’re arresting have guns on them, and they are not toy guns. They are real guns. They’re loaded,” Ricciardi stated.

The piece of advice sparked backlash for Toronto Police this week, as the issue trended on X this Thursday, per City News Toronto who reported that auto theft-motivated home invasions and break-ins increased by 400% in Toronto in 2023.

A user found the suggestion “bizarre.”

“Toronto Police advising the public to leave your fobs near the door. They suggest this because invaders are primarily entering homes to steal your cars. Why not hang your keys outside the door? Or better yet, just leave them in the car,” they wrote.

This is bizarre, Toronto Police advising the public to leave your fobs near the door. They suggest this because invaders are primarily entering homes to steal your cars"

Why not hang your keys outside the door? Or better yet, just leave them in the car 🤣🤣#TrumpGirlOnFire 🔥 pic.twitter.com/6Xc6jV0XiH

— ✞🌸TrumpGirlOnFire 🔥 (@TrumpGirlOnFire) March 14, 2024

Rebel News founder Ezra Levan weighed in to call Toronto Police “an international disgrace.”

“First they brought hot coffee to the pro-Hamas protesters stalking a Jewish neighbourhood. Now they’re telling homeowners to make their houses and cars easier to rob. They’re literally on the side of the criminals,” he wrote.

Toronto Police are an international disgrace.

First they brought hot coffee to the pro-Hamas protesters stalking a Jewish neighbourhood.

Now they're telling homeowners to make their houses and cars easier to rob.

They're literally on the side of the criminals. https://t.co/mtDklEoFvz

— Ezra Levant 🍁🚛 (@ezralevant) March 14, 2024

“The Ottawa Police are useless. The [Royal Canadian Mounted Police] are compromised. The Toronto Police are corrupted. The Supreme Court are woke. Canada is in real trouble,” another user wrote.

The Ottawa Police are useless
The RCMP are compromised
The Toronto Police are corrupted
The Supreme Court are woke
Canada is in real trouble

— Rose Graham (@_rosegraham) March 14, 2024

The department had more advice for residents after Ricciardi’s advice went viral, saying that “Police are concerned about an escalation in violence where all sorts of weapons and firearms are being used to steal vehicles, and that includes during home invasions.”

The new set of advice included installing security cameras and a home security system, adding security film on glass doors and windows, putting multipoint locks on doors and parking vehicles in a garage. Residents are also urged to not post on social media when they will be away from home on holiday.