Cambridge is becoming a hotbed for auto theft and organized crime and local families are left paying the price.
Chantel Betts describes July 29, 2023, as one of the scariest times of her life and it would carry consequences well over a year later.
"They came up to our driveway at night, looked at the security camera and just smashed our window," said Betts. "It felt like a complete violation."
Video provided by the family shows two individuals approach their car, smash the window and then drive the SUV away like it was their own, even putting on the turn signal as they leave the driveway.
The thieves used a sophisticated method of stealing Betts' 2023 Toyota Highlander from her driveway in Hespeler by reprogramming a blank key and driving off.
A report recently presented at a Waterloo Regional Police Service board meeting revealed 2024 is far outpacing the past four-year average for vehicle theft by almost 100 thefts.
Betts noted the thieves took more than just the car that day; they also took their sense of security and safety.
"I couldn't sleep for days after that. I was so scared that they would come back or something else would happen," she added. "I wouldn't even let my kids play in the front yard for a while. As a parent, you just start thinking about what could happen and it's really scary."
The Highlander was found more than two weeks later after getting impounded in Guelph for an unpaid parking ticket. The thieves abandoned the car for an unknown reason.
The family only had the car for three months before it was stolen and it would be another six months until they would be able to drive it. Betts said the car never felt the same and the thieves caused considerable damage to the wiring, suspension and body panels.
"The car was so new that they didn't have the parts," she said. "It would take months for us to be able to get everything back, it was terrible."
While they waited for a new car, they had to rely on friends and the community to help get Betts and her kids to doctor appointments and school.
"My son has special needs so we need to go to places like the doctor frequently and not having a car made us feel trapped," added Betts.
This loss of security and violation of privacy is something Kitchener South-Hespeler MPP Jess Dixon said will keep happening if organized crime is allowed to thrive in the province.
"A lot of these guys are coming from the Toronto area and bringing these cars through Montreal. They end up on a ship and sent overseas with no way of tracking it," said Dixon. "Not only do the families lose their car, but they lose their sense of security."
The local MPP is constantly getting calls from her constituents as the rise in auto theft is increasing the price of insurance and putting families through agonizing financial stress.
Dixon said the province has been bullish on this issue and they need to keep funding police and applying pressure on organized crime, which has its grip on the region.
Police have previously stated that many vehicles that are being stolen, like high-end SUVs, are being shipped out of the country to be sold abroad. Earlier this year, the province invested $121 million in local police forces including WRPS to crack down on auto theft and violent crime.
Despite the funding to reduce auto theft, the report presented to the WRPS board showed auto thefts for 2024 are about to set another record; already smashing the four-year average by almost 100 more thefts.
As of June 30, 2024, there were 458 stolen vehicles compared to the four-year average of 363.
As far as reprogramming thefts, 147 were reported so far this year compared to 88 during the same time in 2023.
During the recent police board meeting, WRPS chief of police, Mark Crowell said that between Aug. 11 and Sept. 4, there were 16 suspected vehicle reprogramming thefts in Cambridge alone.
Crowell added that organized crime is a major contributor to this rise and they have been purposefully targeting young teens and adults to aid in their crimes.
"We know that organized crime groups are preying upon young vulnerable people, especially young men," said Crowell at the meeting. "They draw them into robberies and high-end theft with the thought that the consequences will be less within the criminal justice sphere."
Police have started multiple youth engagement programs to try and reach children before they get involved in organized crime and give them the tools to avoid contact with bad influences.
The Betts family is still dealing with the financial burden of having their car stolen to this day.
"We are still waiting for insurance to compensate us for the damages, but the dealership worked well with us and took back the car," said Betts.
The Cambridge family is currently leasing a new car while they wait for a new model from the dealership. They have also taken more measures to make sure they never have to endure this again.
"We are fortunate enough to be able to park in the garage and we have a club on the wheel. Hopefully, it's not going anywhere."
