214 cars stolen in the last 30 days in Burlington, Oakville, Milton and Georgetown

It looks like the real-life Grand Theft Auto is making its rounds in Burlington, Oakville, Milton and Georgetown with over 200 stolen car incidents this past month.

The area has seen an average of 7 or more motor thefts per day in the last 31 days.

From Apr. 19 to May. 20, Halton Regional Police data indicates that there were a combined 214 vehicle thefts reported across the region — 64 in Burlington, 13 in Georgetown, 44 in Milton and 93 in Oakville.

Based off these reports, it is unknown how many of the stolen vehicle cases were solved and how many are still under investigation.

The following map shows where this past month’s incidents took place:

According to the HRPS data the top 3 common hotspots for this kind of theft is:

• Cross Ave
• Guelph Line
• South Service Rd W

Compared to the same time last year ( Apr. 19 – May. 20, 2022) the vehicle theft count was sitting at a low number 0f 4 incidents for Burlington, Oakville, Milton and Georgetown.

The astonishing rise in carjacking’s could pose a fear among residents that they could be the next victim.

A notable stolen vehicle(s) case from this past year involved police identifying a Milton property as a “chop shop” and located 12 stolen vehicles along with 20 stolen license plates from across the city including Halton, Hamilton, Peel, Durham, York and Toronto.

Investigators also found a number of vehicles on the property in various stages of being stripped which were stolen from Halton, Hamilton and Peel.

Officers say although auto theft occurrences happen daily we all share the responsibility in helping  prevent it. If residents notice a theft in progress or see a suspicious person and vehicle in the neighbourhood, they should call 911.

Halton police have released some protective measures that residents could take to lower the chance of their vehicle being stolen:

• Park your vehicle in a locked garage.
• Park a second vehicle behind a potential target vehicle.
• Install an on-board diagnostic blocker/protector.
• Get a steering wheel lock device.
• Install GPS tracking device.
• Install home security cameras on the exterior of the residence.