CAA North & East Ontario partners with Ottawa Police Service in car theft education campaign
2024年7月3日 - 7:00PM
Car owners concerned with the alarming rate of vehicle theft across
Ontario can use multiple strategies to keep their property safe,
says CAA North & East Ontario in a new public awareness
campaign.
The education campaign,
called “The keys are in your hands” aims to bring awareness about
what the public can do to help slow or stop the trade of cars
stolen using high-tech tactics.
“A car is stolen every
five minutes in Canada, which is an increase of 48.2% in Ontario
over the past year. We know that every layer of government and
every police association has this crisis on their radar,” says Jeff
Walker, President and CEO of CAA North & East
Ontario.
“Consumers are bearing
the brunt of the costs and inconvenience. By using a layered
approach with multiple tools, vehicle owners can really take the
wheel in slowing car theft in Ontario.”
Some strategies, like
locking your car or parking it in your garage, are achievable,
although a 2023 CAA Insurance survey found that only 81% of
Canadians lock their cars and a mere 34% use their
garages.
While those approaches
are important, they should be just part of the methods car owners
could use to protect themselves, says Staff Sergeant Cathy Brown of
the Ottawa Police Service (OPS).
“Organized crime gangs
are using high-tech to steal cars. Consumers can use multiple
high-tech tools, in combination with sensible precautions, to help
stop car thefts. Pro-active and preventative measures are part of
an overall effort nationally to stop car thefts from occurring,”
she says.
Some combinations include
installing an aftermarket immobilizer as well as GPS tracking
system; installing a relay port lock, GPS tracking system and using
a steering wheel lock; always storing your key fob in an RFID
wallet, parking in the garage and installing a security camera and
motion detector light.
As part of the education
campaign, CAA North & East Ontario has created videos, articles
and educational content to help car owners learn more about what
they can do.
To learn more, visit
caaneo.ca/car-theft or the CAA Magazine at
magazine.caaneo.ca.
For interview
requests:
Julie
Beun
Managing
Director
Communications and Public
Relations
CAA Noth & East
Ontario
Julie Beun
CAA North & East Ontario
6132962592
jbeun@caaneo.on.ca