Toronto auto theft a focus for police [Video]

Scott Cresswell was behind the wheel of an unmarked white police truck as he drove across the Greater Toronto Area looking for compounds that might be used to hide stolen vehicles.

The York Regional Police detective entered a crowded commercial zone in Mississauga, Ont., where dozens of cars were parked, scanning for suspicious signs. He then drove to a neighbourhood outside the Halton Hills region, where a large, isolated home sat near farmland, surrounded by a fenced yard.

After inspecting the property from the outside, Cresswell said he had strong reason to suspect it could be a “cool off” site where stolen vehicles are kept for a few days to ensure they aren’t being tracked.

“That is the spot,” Creswell told his colleague over the phone. “This is a dynamite spot.”

The country has an auto theft problem so severe the Insurance Bureau of Canada has called it a “national …