Toronto police are being ridiculed for essentially advising Canadians to preemptively give thieves their car keys to avoid potential violent altercations.
Police issued the strange tip as more and more thieves have been breaking into homes and stealing people’s cars.
“To prevent the possibility of being attacked in your home, leave your fobs at the front door because they are breaking into your home to steal your car; they don’t want anything else,” Cst. Marco Ricciardi said last month, according to City News.
Toronto Police advised residents to leave their key fobs in a Faraday pouch outside their door to dissuade thieves, who are often armed, from entering their homes.
Their advice was quickly picked apart, prompting the department to issue a statement Wednesday defending their intentions as “well-meaning.”
But Canadians still didn’t like the “bizarre” piece of advice.
“Toronto Police advising the public to leave your fobs near the door. They suggest this because invaders are primarily entering homes to steal your cars. Why not hang your keys outside the door? Or better yet, just leave them in the car,” one X user wrote.
Another fed-up woman added her own mocking suggestion: “It is also recommended that you leave out a cold beer and some cookies. If things get violent the TPS will smooth things over with fresh hot coffee.”
Another accused police of “failed state level insanity” and joked authorities were saying: “‘Hey guys do you mind making it easier for people to steal your cars so that they won’t break into your house instead? Thanks’ – The TORONTO POLICE.”
One user simply asked the police to do their job, writing on X: “There are laws in place for a reason. We need to use them and enforce them.”
Another joked: “Canada. Where you can’t defend your property. Just hand it over.”
On Wednesday, the police department suggested other ways to prevent auto thefts outside of practically handing over your keys, which include parking vehicles in garages, adding extra exterior lighting, and installing security cameras.
Car thefts spiked nearly 25% in 2023 compared to the previous year, and home invasion and auto thefts have risen 400%, according to Toronto Police.
The problem has gotten so bad that another Canadian law enforcement agency, York Regional Police, has even begun handing out doorstops to residents to help prevent thieves from kicking open their door to steal key fobs, according to City News.
The Post has reached out to the Toronto Police for comment.
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