Tow truck industry ‘organized crime’ crackdown leads to over 1,000 charges in Ontario, police say

Organized crime groups and “bad actors” in the tow truck industry have been hit with hundreds of charges in Ontario this year following a crackdown across the province, police say.

From Mississauga and Brampton to Ajax, York and beyond, police agencies have been working to cut into crime rings and rule breakers violating Ontario tow regulations and say dozens of trucks were taken off the road in 2024.

In Durham, there have been more than 40 tow truck-related shootings over the last year. Four people were charged in August in connection to numerous crimes, including a murder related to the GTA tow truck industry.

Earlier this month in Hamilton, police said a pair of tow truck companies were under investigation for alleged “predatory business practices.”

And just last week there were two shootings in Ajax overnight on Dec. 13. Police said they both occurred “within minutes” of each other around 12:30 a.m. and are “believed to be in relation to the ongoing tow truck violence being seen across the GTA.”

While most tow companies and operators are not involved in criminal activities and follow regulations under the Towing and Storage Safety and Enforcement Act, “a small percentage of bad actors within the towing industry” have been involved in violent and dangerous incidents, the OPP says.

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As of Monday, the OPP says it laid 518 tow-related charges and took 41 tow trucks off Ontario roads due to violations in 2024. The Toronto Police Service laid some 507 tow-related charges under the Highway Traffic Act and TSSEA, while the Durham Regional Police Service laid 69 and pulled 22 tow trucks off the roads.

In Mississauga and Brampton, Peel Regional Police made two Criminal Code arrests related to tow trucks and laid 234 tow-related charges. Some 79 inspected tow trucks were found to be non-compliant, and nine tow trucks were removed from the road.

York Regional Police have also launched multiple initiatives aimed at reducing tow-related violence and hosted a training symposium for frontline officers from across the GTA, leading to 176 tow truck inspections across the region and 47 tow-related charges.

With more than 1,000 charges laid across Ontario this year, police say it’s important to know your rights to avoid falling victim to a tow scam.

Unless initiated by the police or an “authorized official,” tow companies need consent from the driver to tow your vehicle, the province says.

A “permission to tow” form must be signed before towing starts, police say.

Rates for towing and storage services must also be given to you before a tow company provides services, and rates must be posted at their office or place of business, website if available, and at the location where your vehicle is stored.

You or a person acting on behalf can access the vehicle unless otherwise directed by police after it is towed and stored.

If you need a tow truck while driving on the 401 you can call 511 for a tow truck through the province’s Tow Zone pilot project, or dial *OPP for service elsewhere in Ontario.

The province established a towing task force in 2020 to increase safety and enforcement while improving industry standards in response to “concerns about violence and criminal activity in the industry.”