​​The issue of auto theft is front of mind for many residents. With incidents becoming more violent and brazen, the City of Brampton is stepping up to protect and advocate for the community. 

Sign up to receive a free Signal Blocking Pouch (SBP)

A Signal Blocking Pouch (SBP) may prevent a relay attack by blocking the radio signal given off by a vehicle key FOB, intercepting attempts to steal a vehicle while parked.

Generously sponsored by Performance Auto Group, Brampton residents can sign up and confirm if they qualify to receive a free Signal Blocking Pouch by visiting Let's Connect Brampton​​. Eligible Brampton residents will receive their free SBP in the mail beginning in June. 

Telephone town hall on Auto Theft on May 7

Yesterday, more than 8,300 households joined a telephone town hall to learn about the steps being taken to keep residents safe from auto theft. The telephone town hall also created a platform for residents to ask questions of elected officials and senior members of Peel Regional Police and provide their concerns and feedback. The telephone town hall was hosted by Mayor Patrick Brown, and Chief Nishan Duraiappah and included: 

• Rowena Santos, Regional Councillor, Wards 1 & 5; Chair, Community Services, City of Brampton
• Gurpartap Singh Toor, Regional Councillor, Wards 9 and 10; Chair, Economic Development, City of Brampton 
• Paul Vicente, Regional Councillor, Wards 1 and 5; Chair, Public Works and Engineering, City of Brampton 
• Deputy Chief Nick Milinovich, Investigative and Emergency Services Command, Peel Regional Police 
• Deputy Chief Marc Andrews, Community Policing Operations Command, Peel Regional Police 

​During the telephone town hall, the City announced an expansion of a pilot program that offered a free Signal Blocking Pouch to residents in five wards because of its success. The pilot program enabled a 37 percent decrease in auto thefts in the five pilot areas. Now, all eligible Brampton residents can sign up to receive an SBP. The program is open to Brampton residents who live in townhouses, semi-detached and single-detached residential dwellings. One SBP can be requested per household (residential unit) and multiple key fobs can be stored in a single pouch.

In addition, 90 per cent of telephone town hall participants said that the issue of auto theft is very important to them, with a resounding 93 per cent of participants indicating that they would like to see the federal government install container scanners at ports to stop stolen vehicles from being shipped overseas. 

Advocating for the safety of Brampton 

In addition to hosting a telephone town hall, yesterday, Mayor Patrick Brown delegated to the International Auto Theft Conference in Mississauga, highlighting his recommendations on how to prevent auto thefts in Canada.

Last week, the Mayor met with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Federal Minister of Public Safety, Dominic LeBlanc, bringing concerns about auto theft from Brampton residents. 

Earlier this year, Mayor Patrick Brown joined the National Summit on Combatting Auto Theft led by Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Public Safety, raising local concerns and advocating for institutional change and innovative solutions. 

The City of Brampton will continue to bring forward potential solutions, advocate for the safety of residents and work collaboratively with all levels of government to create a safer Canada for everyone. 

Auto Theft Prevention Tips

The use of SBP alone will not guarantee protection against auto theft. Additionally, there are other measures that, when done, in combination with the SBP can make your vehicle more difficult to steal.

Our community partners, Peel Crime Stoppers and the Peel Regional Police Service, have provided some helpful tips below:

• Park your vehicle in the garage, if possible. Lock your garage door. Ensure your property is well lit.
• Do not leave running vehicles unattended. Ensure you always lock vehicle doors and roll up your windows.
• Do not leave your keys by the front door; store them far away from your vehicle. Store keys in a signal blocking pouch when possible.
• Invest in security cameras for outside your home. Use theft preventative devices (steering wheel lock, an automatic engine shut-off, and/or a tracking device). Install aftermarket products like a GPS tracker, remote vehicle shut off devices and on-board data port locks to prevent thieves from cloning keys.
• Avoid storing valuables or packages in plain view in your vehicles (place them out of sight or in the trunk).
  

For tips on how to prevent auto theft and to learn more about how the City of Brampton and Peel Regional Police are working together to take steps to keep the community safe from auto theft, visit Let's Connect Brampton. 

City of Brampton and Peel Regional Police host telephone town hall on auto theft. Left to right: Mayor Brown, Regional Councillor Paul Vicente, Deputy Chief Andrews, Regional Councillor Gurpartap Singh Toor​​

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