675 vehicles stolen or broken into in the last month in Mississauga and Brampton

Mississauga and Brampton saw hundreds of instances of vehicle-related crime in the last month, including auto thefts and thefts of property from inside vehicles.

Peel police’s crime data indicates that from February 23 to March 24, there were a total of 462 vehicles stolen throughout both cities: 260 in Mississauga and 202 in Brampton.

That includes the theft of 360 automobiles, 98 motorcycles, and four trucks.

462 vehicles stolen in Mississauga and Brampton: Feb. 23 to Mar. 24

Furthermore, from February 23 to March 23, it’s reported that there were 213 instances of thefts from vehicles, with 118 happening in Mississauga and 95 in Brampton.

213 thefts from vehicles in Mississauga and Brampton: Feb. 23 to Mar. 23

Overall, that’s an average of around 15 vehicles being stolen a day, and seven thefts from vehicles happening a day.

“Across Peel Region and the Greater Toronto Area, there has been a rise in thefts targeting vehicles from residential driveways at night,” according to Peel police. “This type of theft is preventable with your co-operation.”

Police offer the following tips for residents to prevent their vehicles from being stolen:

• Park your vehicle in the garage, if possible.
• If you have a second vehicle, park it directly behind targeted ones.
• Ensure property is well lit.
• Invest in security cameras for outside your home.
• Use theft preventative devices.
• Cover or block your vehicle identification number.
• Install aftermarket products like a GPS trackers, remote vehicle shut off devices and on-board data port locks to prevent thieves from cloning keys.
• Do not leave your keys by the front door; store them far away from your vehicle.
• Store keys in a FARADAY/RFID Blocking device when possible.
• Do not leave running vehicles unattended.
• Be aware of suspicious vehicles in your neighborhood and report to police.

As for items being stolen from vehicles, police say these thefts tend to occur in large remote parking lots, as well as parking lots at shopping malls, GO train stations, movie theatres, airports. Residential driveways and unlocked garages are also a prime target.

To keep their belongings safe, residents are advised to avoid leaving a running vehicle unattended, keep car doors locked and windows rolled up, lock their garage door, keep valuables out of sight, and consider using anti-theft devices (steering wheel lock, an automatic engine shut-off, and/or a tracking device).

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