A funding boost for Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) in Essex County. Progressive Conservative MPP Anthony Leardi held a news conference Thursday morning in Kingsville, where he announced $200,000 to help Essex County OPP combat auto thefts. The funding comes from the Preventing Auto Thefts (PAT) Grant Program. Essex County OPP Community Engagement Officer Constable Chris Ciliska says the funding will assist with additional training and specialized equipment to assist with combating along with intelligence and surveillance. He says auto theft is a problem everywhere, including Essex County. “The technology now a days has made it a lot easier for theft to occur, so we have to try and stay ahead of that and prevent as much as we can, and whether it’s by educating the public in ways of keeping their vehicles safer or combating the actual crime after it occurs, it will help,” he says. Ciliska says different kinds of vehicles are being taken. “It’s just the ease of some of them to be taken, and then higher-end ones in different areas are more interesting; they get shipped overseas and cut down and whatnot, but anything, anything available will be taken,” says Ciliska. He says Essex County OPP will be releasing more information and tips to the public on combating auto thefts. Ciliska says they’ll be doing some online education and provide information at community events. He says some tips, including locking your vehicle, keeping them in well-lit areas if they’re outside, and not leaving personal items, including keys, inside the vehicle. Ontario is investing an additional $6 million to support 22 police projects across the province through the grant. Since 2023, the province has invested $24 million in the program.
