Shootings, Carjackings in York Region Nearly Double Since January: Police Chief

York Regional Police Chief Jim MacSween speaks to the media during a press conference in Aurora, Ontario, on Dec. 19, 2022. Arlyn McAdorey/The Canadian Press via AP

York Regional Police say the region has seen a 92 percent increase in shootings and a 106 percent increase in carjackings since January.

“The trend in violent crime is a major concern, and will continue to be a top priority for York Regional Police for the remaining months of 2024 and will continue to be as we move into 2025,” Police Chief Jim MacSween said during an Aug. 27 press conference.

MacSween said there have been 15 homicides and 46 carjacking incidents since January, and an almost 400 percent increase in carjackings since 2019.

The police chief said illegal handguns have become “all too easy” for criminals to access, with many of the firearms being smuggled across the Canada-U.S. border and used to commit “a number of offences.”

He also said organized crime is behind ongoing conflict in the tow-truck industry, with companies using gun violence and arson to threaten their rivals.

In June, Toronto police launched a task force to deal with increasing criminal activity among a small segment of the towing industry over territorial disputes and rivalries.

According to MacSween, York Regional Police will be launching two separate initiatives in September to deal with crime. These include a carjacking task force to identify and arrest “those responsible for victimizing our community,” and an auto theft prevention campaign to educate Canadians on how best to protect their vehicles.

Frustration With Canada’s Bail System

During the press conference, MacSween raised the issue of police continuing to see repeat offenders being let out on bail. “As it relates to carjackings alone, there are many cases where we find young people brandishing handguns, victimizing community members, and then in short order—in some cases—back out on bail,” he told a reporter.

The federal government’s Bill C-5, which passed in 2022, eliminated 20 mandatory minimum sentences on gun and drug offences in an effort to address “systemic racism in Canada’s criminal justice system.” However, Conservative politicians and police agencies have criticized the bill for allowing repeat offenders to be let out on bail.

The federal government’s Bill C-48, which came into effect at the beginning of 2024, places a reverse onus on violent offenders, forcing them to remain in detention while awaiting trial unless they can prove they are not a flight risk or a threat to public safety.

In July, all 13 provincial and territorial premiers sent a letter to Justice Minister Arif Virani and Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc, asking them to review Bill C-48. The premiers pointed to the murder of a Surrey woman by a man who had been let out on bail despite having a long criminal history, arguing that Bill C-48 is not being properly enforced.

MacSween said while York Regional Police would continue enforcing the law, “people should not be out on the streets after committing a gun crime to be able to commit another gun crime and victimize the community.”

“That’s unacceptable, but it shouldn’t take every premier in Ontario or across the country to write a letter to get change around bail reform,” he said. “That’s what I call on everyone to be doing in that justice sector, is to do everything we can to keep those off the street who shouldn’t be on the street.”

MacSween added that while he could not give an exact figure for how many criminals behind carjackings are repeat criminals out on bail, “we do see it on a regular basis where people that are out on bail are re-offending and committing other types of violent crimes.”