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ONTARIO 💵🚁 Ontario Fighting Auto Theft and Organized Crime With Expanded New Joint Air Support Unit 👮‍♂️🚔

Tuesday, 06 August 2024 06:30.PM

- New police helicopters will help prevent violent carjackings in Ottawa and the Greater Toronto Area -

To fight against car thieves and organized crime, the Ontario government is investing $134 million to purchase five new police helicopters for use in the Greater Toronto Area and Ottawa. Equipped with the latest technology, the helicopters will help keep highways and roadways safe from violent carjackings, auto theft, street racing and impaired driving.

“Our government is making the necessary investments to ensure that police services have the tools and resources they need to crack down on auto theft and car thieves,” said Premier Doug Ford. “From implementing new technologies and innovative policing strategies to tackling guns and gangs and getting more boots on the ground, we’ll do whatever it takes to put the criminals behind bars and keep our communities safe.”

As part of a new Joint Air Support Unit, the Ontario Provincial Police will acquire two new H135 helicopters to provide support to Ottawa and Toronto Police Services. In addition, three helicopters will be procured, owned and operated by Durham, Halton and Peel Regional Police Services to support current patrols and improve response times.

“Criminal networks have become more sophisticated, but so have we,” said Solicitor General Michael Kerzner. “In Ontario, a car is stolen every 14 minutes—this is completely unacceptable. These helicopters will be a critical tool in helping police stay one step ahead of the criminals who are stealing cars and committing crimes on our streets."

The investment in new helicopters was announced in the 2024 Ontario Budget and builds on the province’s $51 million investment to support the OPP’s Provincial Auto Theft and Towing Team and Ontario’s Major Auto Theft Prosecution Response Team.

“We are investing directly in the wellbeing of Ontario families, who deserve to feel safe in their homes and communities,” said Minister of Finance Peter Bethlenfalvy. “With these five new helicopters patrolling our roadways and neighbourhoods, we’re sending a clear message to criminals that we do not tolerate threats to public safety.”

The 2024 Budget: Building a Better Ontario supports the government’s ongoing efforts to enhance public safety in Ontario by ensuring police services have the resources to respond to major incidents and urgent situations.

Quick Facts

• As a result of Project Vector, a joint effort between the OPP and the Canada Border Services Agency, 598 vehicles worth approximately $34.5 million were recovered from the Port of Montreal between December 2023 and March 2024.
• Co-led by Toronto Police Service and the OPP, the GTA multi-agency Provincial Carjacking Joint Task Force made 124 arrests, laid 749 charges, recovered 177 vehicles and seized eight firearms between September 2023 and March 2024.
• The Ontario government is investing $112 million to help police track and monitor repeat and violent offenders who are released on bail. This includes $24 million to help police services establish dedicated bail compliance and/or warrant apprehension teams and support new technology for a provincewide bail compliance monitoring system.

"Air support is an extremely effective law enforcement and public safety tool that significantly enhances the capacity of the police to detect crime, disrupt criminal activity, safely apprehend offenders and assist vulnerable missing persons. The establishment of the Joint Air Support Unit and the expansion of OPP Aviation Services will contribute greatly to the safety of our communities and the security of our province."
- Thomas Carrique, Commissioner, Ontario Provincial Police

SOURCE: Office of the Premier of Ontario

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