Halton sees surge in car thefts, police launch auto task force

By Laura Steiner, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Milton Reporter

A video has been shared countless times on social media showing a woman screaming as she is attacked while loading her car in the parking lot near the Metro grocery store. She’s thrown to the ground, and thieves drive off in her car. Initially, police didn’t know about the video but have since traced it to its origins.

“Carjacking such as the one seen in Milton on February 21 are fortunately very rare,” Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) Media Relations Officer Constable Ryan Anderson said. There have been only two of this type violent carjackings within the last three years. Police arrested 38-year old Shawn Moore outside a Brampton home. Moore was held without bail on charges related to robbery, theft, and possession of property obtained by crime. The second suspect is still at large.

Halton experience ‘significant increase’ in auto theft
According to Statistics Canada, there have been over 83,000 car thefts nationally. In Milton, 233 cars were stolen throughout 2022. “It’s still very high for us, still exceptionally high,” Detective Sergeant Dwayne Perron said. Perron leads the District 1 Criminal Investigations Unit. In the City of Mississauga, 995 cars were stolen alone in the first week of January. The Toronto Police have also reported that vehicle theft has surpassed break-and-enter as the ‘second most prevalent crime for 2022.’

The thefts happen from 3 am to 5 am and take approximately 45 seconds. The thieves plug a device into a car’s diagnostic port and use the information to reprogram a blank key fob. Vehicles targeted include newer models of Dodge Rams, Lexus SUVs, Toyota Highlanders, and Jeep brand SUVs, all with a push-button start.

Police have noticed an increase in reprogramming thefts since the beginning of this year, and in response have created an auto task force. In February, police charged 38-year-old Suleiman Alhamarneh of Mississauga and 27-year-old Amro Alkiswani with 14 counts of trafficking in stolen property over $5,000, possession of stolen property over $5,000, and possession of automobile master key. Police also recovered 25 vehicles that were being shipped for sale overseas.

“This isn’t just a property crime anymore,” Perron said. The Auto Taskforce made several arrests while investigating the theft of a pickup truck in Georgetown on March 2, 2023. Officers learned the suspects were based at a Milton Air B&B and were using a rented Hyundai Elantra to steal cars in the area. Three male suspects in their late teens were arrested at a gas station in Mississauga and charged with offences related to theft of a motor vehicle. One 18-year-old male was wanted for first-degree murder in the province of Quebec. Police seized a loaded handgun, a large machete-style knife, and tools used for reprogramming-style thefts.

Police hold public forum on auto thefts:
Community leaders and the Halton police organized a public forum on Saturday, March 4, 2023, to discuss the thefts. Perron and Sergeant Mark Pidberezny took questions from the audience and spoke for two hours about the problem and how to prevent thefts from happening in the first place.

Stais Armstrong realizes that what’s happening in Milton is a broader Greater Toronto Area (GTA) issue. However, the increase in violence is still worrying. “I’m very concerned with what’s happening in Milton,” he said. Kristine Ramirez echoed the sentiments, calling the crimes disgusting. “It’s disturbing. I have kids that are G2 drivers, and I’m terrified that they’re going to run into a situation,” Ramirez said. Police advise drivers to give up their vehicles if they ever find themselves being carjacked.

John moved to Milton in 2003 from Mississauga. He spoke about the broader issue of crime. “I have never seen Milton like this before,” he said. The carjacking at the Metro Plaza prompted him to do a complete review and upgrade his home security system. He commented on Bill C-75 legislation that allows judges to release offenders on low or no bail. “That’s frustrating for us as citizens. It’s frustrating for our police officers,” he said. The legislation received royal assent in 2019.

Darlene McNichol lives near the Metro plaza where the carjacking took place. Her daughter works in the area as well and spoke to the psychological effects of the carjacking. “It’s not just your car being stolen. It’s like you’re sitting in your parking lot at 9 am about to get your Starbucks coffee. You’re thinking, do I need to be looking over my shoulder and locking my doors.” She was grateful for the session. “This two-way conversation, I think, was really important to make us understand in the context of what’s happening in terms of Milton still being a very safe community to live in,” she said after the session.

What can be done about it?
“The people of Milton deserve to be safe,” said Milton MP Adam van Koeverden. He’s been working with area MP’s Anita Anand, Katrina Gould and Pam Damoff to secure funding through the Building Safe Communities Fund, but he also recognizes that more must be done among all levels of government. “This includes addressing recidivism, and ensuring that violent criminals who pose a risk to Canadians should never be granted bail,” he added.

Questions were submitted via email to Milton Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) Parm Gill prior to the event. His office forwarded them to the Ontario Solicitor General’s Office. “The province is stepping up to tackle the issue of auto thefts. Together with the federal government, we have invested $203 million through the Guns, Gangs and Violence Reduction Strategy (GGVRS) to fight gun and gang crime, which is linked to many auto theft,” spokesman Brent Ross said. They have also invested $40 million in an Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) Technology grant, which the Halton Police use.

“I encourage them to get involved. We are certainly going to host most of these moving forward. But I also encourage them to reach out to us individually if they’ve got specific concerns,” Detective Sergeant Dwayne Perron said. Gary Walker, the second suspect in the carjacking, remains at large.