More dealerships added to anti-car theft program in Milton and Oakville

Five new car dealerships, four in Milton and one in Oakville, have joined the Halton police’s initiative to help combat auto thefts in the region.

The program hopes to expand the use of aftermarket GPS trackers, which contribute to the recovery of approximately 40 per cent of stolen vehicles. Police hope their broader use will reduce auto thefts and lead to even more recoveries.

Project Oxygen encourages residents to place third-party trackers (such as an Apple Air Tag, Tile, Galaxy Smart Tag or Atuvos) inside their vehicles.

Tracker tools utilize technology to relay the location of a stolen vehicle to its rightful owner. Armed with this information, police are in a better position to recover the vehicle and make an arrest.

The key to success is the location of the aftermarket tracker in the automobile. While a thief may become aware of the presence of an aftermarket tracker, a well-hidden device or one placed in a hard to reach location will give police valuable time to locate the stolen vehicle or cause the thieves to abandon the stolen vehicle.

This program initially started with the participation of six dealerships in Oakville installing the trackers for residents.

The HRPS has now confirmed the participation of four dealerships in Milton and one additional dealership in Oakville.

The new participating dealerships are:

• Wallace Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick, GMC – 801 Main St. E., Milton
• Team Honda Powerhouse of Milton – 170 Steeles Ave. E., Milton
• Milton Chrysler Dodge Limited – 81 Ontario St. N., Milton
• Milton Toyota, 1245 Steeles Ave. E., Milton
• Oakville Honda – 500 Iroquois Shore Rd., Oakville

Also, Lexus owners who live in Milton can now attend Lexus of Oakville, 1453 North Service Rd. W., for this service.

Please contact your dealership directly for more information and to book an appointment.

Here are some other auto theft prevention tips offered by police:

• Park your vehicle in a locked garage
• Block the exit of a potential target vehicle with a second vehicle parked behind it
• Install an on-board diagnostic blocker/protector
• Use of a steering wheel lock device
• Home security cameras on the exterior of the residence
• Install a kill switch in your vehicle