The City of Toronto has a car theft problem, but it doesn't sound like the police have much of a clue as to how to combat it. In a recent safety meeting, one officer even gave advice that basically boiled down to: If thieves come knocking to steal your car, just let them have it. Toronto Police Service Constable Marco Ricciardi said, "To prevent the possibility of being attacked in your home, leave your key fobs at your front door, because they're breaking into your home to steal your car. They don't want anything else.” The concept of not risking life or injury to save your car is understandable, but it’s the kind of advice you would expect to hear from a well-meaning parent. Hearing it come out of the mouths of the very people whose taxpayer-funded, gun-toting job it is to prevent this sort of thing from happening in the first place is arguably unexpected and, frankly, kind of crazy. Unfortunately, some Torontonians have evidently taken the advice to heart, like one person who — after having their vehicle broken into three times — opted to leave their car unlocked, along with a big, handwritten note indicating this, so that would-be thieves don't break the window again. Where there's a problem, there are those out there capitalizing on ways to solve it. Vehicle tracking devices are apparently doing really well, with Montreal-based Tag Tracking reportedly doubling sales over the past two years. There are now entire businesses dedicated to installing posts at the ends of driveways to prevent the thefts. Ideally, none of these things would have to exist, but you've got to hand it to them for acting to curb a problem instead of sitting idly by — which is more than Toronto Police can say.
