Toronto police spark outrage for telling residents to leave their car keys at the front door to avoid thieves breaking in after thefts soared 150%

Toronto police sparked outrage after advising residents to leave their car keys at the front door and let thieves to take their vehicles.

This shocking message comes as car thefts have soared by 150 percent over six years in Canada's largest city, forcing residents to hide their cars in secret locations and fortify them with round-the-clock security.

At a recent community safety townhall meeting held in Etobicoke, Toronto Police Service (TPS) Constable Marco Ricciardi addressed the issue and offered his controversial tip.

'To prevent the possibility of being attacked in your home, leave your fobs at your front door, because thieves are breaking into homes solely to steal cars. They don't want anything else,' said Ricciardi.

This bizarre advice has left residents and social media users outraged, with many attributing the rampant car theft to lax bail and sentencing rules under the administration of Justin Trudeau.

Toronto police sparked outrage after Constable Marco Ricciardi (pictured) advised residents to leave their car keys at the front door and let thieves to take their vehicles

The shocking message comes as car thefts have soared by 150 percent over six years in Canada 's largest city, forcing residents to hide their cars in secret locations and fortify them with round-the-clock security. Pictured: a car theft in Ontario's Richmond Hill back in August

This bizarre advice has left residents and social media users outraged, with many attributing the rampant car theft to lax bail and sentencing rules under the administration of Justin Trudeau

Ricciardi said residents could avoid potential home invasions by leaving car fobs at front doors, suggesting those break-ins could be violent and life-threatening. 

'A lot of them that [police] are arresting have guns on them. And they are not toy guns. They are real guns, they are loaded,' he said at the meeting. 

A social media user wrote: 'Just leave the f**king car running at the end of your driveway. Why make them walk all the way up to the front door? Duh!' 

Another person chimed in by saying, 'That's a slippery slope because next it will be suggested to leave gas money too.' 

A flurry of comments points out that advising individuals to give their keys to armed thieves does not make sense and could lead to much more serious consequences.  

One user wrote: 'Let them have your car because they have guns. We knew that would happen. Next will be keep your doors unlocked and wife, girlfriend, or 10-year-old daughter ready to be gang raped at home.' 

Toronto residents have taken great pains in protecting their vehicles, as an estimated 90,000 cars are stolen each year in the city.

Ricciardi said residents could avoid potential home invasions by leaving car fobs at front doors, suggesting those break-ins could be violent and life-threatening

Critics have cited lax laws from Justin Trudeau , who in turn has blamed the previous Conservative government 

'A catchy slogan won't stop auto theft,' the eight-year prime minister said at the conference February 8, speaking to allies, conservative rivals, and an assortment of police officers

Meanwhile, auto thefts are up across the board in Canada's provinces - 50 percent in Quebec, 48 percent in Ontario, 34 percent in Atlantic Canada, and 18 percent in Alberta - costing residents about $1.2 billion a year. 

That's not including the fees incurred by private security firms employed by people like Nick Elworthy whose Farrari was stolen last year, which typically cost about $1200 to $1700 per day. 

Elworthy told the New York Times Saturday of how he was contacted by cops in Ottawa who recently found his Ferrari in a shipping container after it was stolen this past summer.  

'I was absolutely ecstatic when I got the call from that officer. I was literally jumping up and down,' he said. 

Ottawa-based security service Northern Force Security said a premium service, 'includes round-the-clock security for private persons, and companies conducting on-site customer service.'

These agents can do everything from patrolling to screening people entering the building as well as cars - typically in eight-hour shifts with three persons sharing the amount each day.

Services that offer dogs - which Northern Force does not - tend to cost extra. The only pricier service is typically full-time security detail, usually reserved for celebrities and politicians.

A stolen 2024 Chevrolet Corvette recovered by The Caledon Community Street Crime Unit this past December. Canadian collectors of luxury cars are taking greater pains in protecting their vehicles

Toronto residents have taken great pains in protecting their vehicles, as an estimated 90,000 cars are stolen each year in the city. Pictured: Two of 25 stolen vehicles valued at more than $3.2 million recovered by cops in York in January 

Auto thefts are up across the board in Canada's provinces - 50 percent in Quebec, 48 percent in Ontario, 34 percent in Atlantic Canada, and 18 percent in Alberta - costing residents about $1.2 billion a year.  Pictured: a stolen vehicle recovered by the York police

The latter assembled in Ottawa February 8 to finally confront the far-reaching problem, which has reached crisis levels under Trudeau's administration.

'A catchy slogan won't stop auto theft,' Trudeau said in Ottawa February 8, speaking to an assortment of liberal allies, political rivals, and police officers.

'Cracking down on auto theft means bringing law enforcement, border services, port authorities, carmakers and insurance companies together.'

The 52-year-old, who has been in office since 2015, proceeded to blame is conservative predecessors for the now years-long uptick, citing their lower spending on efforts surrounding border security.

This, he claims, has made it harder for him to prevent stolen car from leaving the country - an industry that at this point valued in the billions.

The sheer extent of theft occurring across the country, experts at the Ottawa conference said, has resulted in more than $1billion in costs to Canadian insurance policyholders and taxpayers.

That sum spurred the Insurance Bureau of Canada to declare the country's spate of car theft had reached 'national crisis' levels, citing how insurers paid out the record sum, the equivalent of about $890 million American, in theft claims in 2022.

This past year, meanwhile, could prove even worse, as 2022 is the most recent year nationwide statistics for such thefts are available.

Still, Trudeau last month reassured Canadians the government is aware of the issue and is already considering a number of responses, including investing in its border agency.

Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre has blamed the rise on Trudeau's passing of Bill C-75, a law it passed in 2019 that updated bail provisions in the Criminal Code.

Others, including Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre, brought up increasing penalties for auto thieves, and banning imports of key fob hacking devices like the TikTok-famous Flipper Zero.

Poilievre, meanwhile, has since taken to social media and YouTube to criticize Trudeau and his administration, claiming it is excessively lenient in bail and sentencing for offenders.

He has called for Trudeau to in turn reverse Bill C-75, a law it passed in 2019 that updated bail provisions in the Criminal Code.

'The prime minister, with the support of The NPD, passed catch and "release" that allows career car thieves to be released the same day they are caught stealing cars, to have house arrest, and to have shorter sentences, many of which they serve in their living room watching Netflix,' Poilievre said at Canada's Parliament this month.

'That has led to a 100 percent increase in car theft in Montreal and Ottawa, and a 300 percent increase in Toronto. 

'Will they reverse these disastrous and reckless policies so that we can stop the crime?'