York Region sees 106 per cent increase in carjackings, 92 per cent increase in shootings: police

York Regional Police say the area is experiencing a dramatic increase in carjackings, illegal handguns and violent crime.

In a news conference held Tuesday, Chief Jim MacSween called the situation “distressing,” and provided shocking statistics about crime trends in the area.

While auto thefts in the area have dropped by 33 per cent compared to last year, York Regional Police say there has been a 400 per cent increase in carjackings since 2019, which MacSween called, “violent” and “traumatizing” for victims and their families.

He says there have been 64 reported carjackings so far this year alone, representing a 106 per cent increase from last year.

To combat the situation, the chief says police will be launching a new task force focused solely on investigating carjackings.

MacSween also shared details about an uptick in violent crime. He says there have been 15 homicides so far this year and 46 shootings, representing a 92 per cent increase from last year.

The chief points the finger at organized crime rings who he says are smuggling illegal handguns across the border from the U.S. with limited consequences and also recruiting youths to commit crimes.

“The surge in gun violence can be attributed to organized crime rings who are obtaining and using illegal handguns to commit a number of offences,” MacSween told reporters. “Organized crime is also behind both the nationwide increases in auto lefts that we’ve all witnessed and the ongoing conflict in the tow truck industry.”

“As we continue to see, some tow truck organizations are resorting to both gun violence and arson as a means of threatening their business rivals,” he added. “There are many cases where we find young people brandishing handguns, victimizing community members, and then in short order, in some cases, they are back out on bail, out on the streets again.”

York Police also reported a four per cent rise in hate crimes.

“We understand that these crimes can shake our community to its core and are extremely tragic for victims, family members and loved ones,” he added. “We’re committed to finding justice and restoring a sense of safety in the community.”

MacSween says the trend of violent crime is a major concern for the police force and will be a top priority for the remaining months of 2024.

“York Regional Police will continue to do everything we can to hold those to account, but we are only one pillar of the justice system, and public safety is a shared responsibility for all justice sector partners,” MacSween said.