Home invasions are a growing concern in Canada, with increasing reports of break-ins for auto thefts and residential burglaries in some big Canadian cities.
This year alone, 1,721 break and enter crimes have been reported to the Toronto Police Service as of March 17. That is a 31.5 per cent jump compared with the same time last year, police data shows.
In 2023, home invasions and break-ins for auto thefts in Toronto, Ont., rose by 400 per cent, according to Toronto police.
“Police are concerned about an escalation in violence, where all sorts of weapons and firearms are being used to steal vehicles, and that includes during home invasions,” Toronto police said in a March 13 statement.
Out west, in Winnipeg, Man., a total of 87 home invasions were reported in 2023 compared with 56 the year before — a 55 per cent jump, according to Const. Jason Michalyshen, a public information officer with the Winnipeg Police Service.
Michalyshen told Global News that the numbers are trending back up towards pre-pandemic levels after a notable downturn in 2022 and 2021 when more people were working from home due to COVID-19.
In Vancouver, B.C., more than 200 cases of residential or other non-commercial break-ins have been reported to police so far this year, data from the city’s police department shows.
Last year, Vancouver, saw 2,972 break and enter offences, which was a 6.5 per cent decrease from 2022.
In Nova Scotia’s Halifax region, break and enters increased by 25 per cent, when comparing the first half of 2022 with 2023, by a total of 22 events, said a report by the Halifax District RCMP.
Meanwhile, in Montreal, Que., “no significant increase of breaking and entering was observed” last year, according to the communication division at Service de police de la Ville de Montréal.
Nationally, breaking and entering offences increased by four per cent in 2022 and minor theft of $5,000 or under was up 10 per cent compared with the previous year, according to the latest Statistics Canada data on police-reported crime.
How To Prevent Home Invasions
To protect yourself, Toronto police advise residents to ensure driveways are well-lit, have home security systems and security cameras if possible, and put security film on glass windows and doors.
Police also recommend having multi-point door locks and keeping backyard gates and ground-floor windows locked.
Doors and windows should be locked at all times whether you’re at home or away, Halifax Regional Police say. A peep-hole in the door should consider the height of the occupants in the house and their ability to use it.
If you are going away, make your home look occupied and have a trusted person look after the house, Ottawa Police Service says.
