2 Friday, December 2, 2022brooklintowncrier.com Dan Gravelle's Jeep sat in his driveway till 3:30 am on Nov. 17. That's when thieves, part of a gang operating all over the GTA, stole it. Moments later, it and the Jeeps of neighbours were seen on security cameras being driven away. His was miraculously recovered days later in Montreal, en route to a shipping container. An off-duty Durham officer saw a caravan of Jeeps heading east on the 401, followed by a car with Quebec plates. Suspicious, he called it in. Gravelle notes there's no way of knowing what was done to his car during that time, except that the alleged driver (aka "mule") was a 19-year old stripper being paid $500, this according to an OPP friend of his. Gravelle has had to cover the $1000 insurance deductible, perhaps more for repairs if the vehicle developed issues during its time away. "They scan your VIN (Vehicle Identification Number)," he says, "and use tech stuff to read your key FOB signal. They don't break windows or doors." The thefts aren't an anomaly. The Durham Police crime mapping tool is awash in purple dots reflecting auto theft locations in the region for 2022 with Brooklin having its share. Certainly the aggravation, money and time spent on dealing with the issue is one of Gravelle's peeves. The other, however, is how he sees the thieves are dealt with. An army vet who now works for OPG Pickering's nuclear plant in security and fire protection, he claims not to be one to stand idly by and not say something. "The police are swamped. Apparently there were over 100 vehicles stolen in one night in Peel Region." Using his OPP buddy's insider information, he adds, "Criminals are issued a PTA (promise to appear) and released within hours. Usually they don't show up for court, a warrant is issued and unless they are picked up wherever, nothing is done. Criminals know the fines. "Victims of stolen vehicles are the ones out of pocket for deductibles, loss of property, not to mention the emotional stress of being violated and loss of money to replace your vehicle and you get what the vehicle was worth, black book price. Criminals get off and probably back out on the street stealing more vehicles hours after being released." He's written to the Town of Whitby, MPP Lorne Coe and MP Ryan Turnbull to share his views and demand Less than half the picture by Richard Bercuson Car Theft Not Victimless that laws address the problem better. In his letter, he also pointed out that a further stress is that now thieves know where he lives. With advice from his OPP buddy, Gravelle suggests covering the VIN, buying a Faraday box to store key FOBs, and a steering wheel club. Also, keep an eye out for Quebec license plates, especially if the vehicle is following you. As he says, the theft did indeed make him and his wife victims. It is, he emphasizes, anything but a victimless crime. Government funding anti-theft technology The Ontario government is providing Durham Regional Police Service with $2,508,484.00 to help fight crime, including auto theft. The Durham Regional Police Service will use the funding for Automated Licence Plate Recognition (ALPR) technology - a system that consists of cameras that automatically scan licence plates. The system is installed in or on active-duty police cruisers and alerts officers to stolen or expired plates, or plates registered to suspended drivers. The system can also notify officers of missing and wanted persons and vehicles associated with AMBER alerts. As of November 23, 2022, the Durham Regional Police Service has had approximately 850 vehicle thefts reported to date. This is a 45% increase from this time last year and is almost double the five-year average. Here are the top five tips to help protect your vehicle. • Lock your vehicle. • Consider an anti-theft device, these can be a good deterrent. Remember that nothing is 100% guaranteed. • Do not store your key by your front door. Consider placing them on your nightstand, that way if you hear a disturbance in the middle of the night, you can always hit your panic button. • Do not hide your key in your vehicle or outside your house. • Park in a well-lit area or locked garage. Deterrents such as faraday boxes and steering wheel clubs are designed as a deterrent for thieves in relation to vehicle thefts as they ideally add an additional obstacle for the thief to overcome. Deterrents are not 100% guaranteed. DRPS is taking the increase of vehicle thefts seriously and have allocated time and resources to addressing this issue within our community. 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