Police in this city is asking people to leave car keys at front door for thieves

Toronto police is advising residents to leave their car keys at the front door (Representational image)

Toronto police has sparked shock and outrage after advising residents to leave their car keys at the front door for thieves. The number of home invasions for car thefts has reached such a high in Canada’s largest city that cops feel this is the safest course of action.

According to the Daily Mail, Toronto Police Service (TPS) Constable Marco Ricciardi offered this controversial suggestion at a recent townhall meeting. He said that home invasions by car thieves could turn violent, and residents would be better off leaving their keys at the front door.

“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,” Ricciardi advised residents.

“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 added.

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Social media did not take kindly to what they saw as police shirking its duty to protect citizens. Instagram has exploded with factitious Reels about Toronto residents leaving their car keys out for the convenience of thieves.

However, a former thief told The Star that the suggestion makes sense. “It’s not a bad idea,” said the former thief. “I’ve been there. I’ve done it. I’ve gone into people’s houses.”

A car theft victim agreed with this line of thought. The victim said that two men in hoodies broke into his home last year to steal the keys to his Porsche. “That’s not ideal, but what’s the alternative?” he said. “You don’t want to go nose-to-nose with them in the middle of the night.”

According to The Star, more than 12,000 vehicles were stolen in Toronto last year. This number could double in 2024 if prevailing trends continue.