Toronto (Jan 25) – The Provincial Carjacking Joint Task Force (PCJTF) announced today that it had made 89 arrests and laid 554 charges against those responsible for violent vehicle crimes in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), including carjackings and home invasions for the purpose of vehicle theft to date. Since September last year, the PCJTF has also recovered 109 vehicles.
“Our collaboration with the OPP and other services across the GTA as part of the PCJTF has proven very successful thus far, with more than 550 charges laid in 89 arrests, and 109 vehicles recovered,” said Superintendent Steve Watts, Organized Crime Enforcement, TPS. “Although the number of carjackings in Toronto decreased in 2023 compared to the year before, we continue to see a concerning rise in violence related to auto thefts that the PCJTF will continue to address.”
Co-led by TPS and the OPP, the task force is a collaboration between police services from across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), including York, Halton, Durham, Peel and other external agencies, including Criminal Intelligence Service of Ontario (CISO).
The purpose of the PCJTF is to disrupt the networks responsible for high-risk auto thefts, which increasingly involve violence, firearms and other weapons.
“PCJTF officers are working closely with members assigned to the OPP-led Organized Crime Towing and Auto Theft Team and partners, including Équité Association and the Canada Border Services Agency, OPP Detective Superintendent Paula Milne said in a statement. “Through this ongoing collaboration, we are confident that we can identify and dismantle the organized crime groups that are responsible for the recent spike in serious vehicle crimes.”
