Ontario buying helicopters to help police address auto thefts in Ottawa, Toronto

Police in Ottawa will soon have eyes in the sky to help officers crack down on auto thefts, carjackings and street racing.

The Ontario government is spending $134 million to purchase five new helicopters for use in the Greater Toronto Area and Ottawa. As part of the new Joint Air Support Unit, Ontario Provincial Police will acquire two new H135 helicopters to provide support to police in Ottawa and Toronto in dealing with auto thefts.

• Sign up now for daily CTV News Ottawa newsletters
• The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App

According to the Ottawa Police Service Crime Map, 957 vehicles have been reported stolen in Ottawa so far in 2024.

"Equipped with the latest technology, the helicopters will help keep highways and roadways safe from violent carjackings, auto theft, street racing and impaired driving," the Ontario government said in a release.

Ontario is also purchasing three new helicopters to be owned and operated by Durham, Halton and Peel police services to support current patrols.

The Ontario government says a vehicle is stolen every 14 minutes in Ontario.

“Our government is making the necessary investments to ensure that police services have the tools and resources they need to crack down on auto theft and car thieves,” Premier Doug Ford said in a statement. “From implementing new technologies and innovative policing strategies to tackling guns and gangs and getting more boots on the ground, we’ll do whatever it takes to put the criminals behind bars and keep our communities safe.”

Ford calls the new fleet of helicopters a "massive boost for community safety."

"They'll help keep our highways and roadways safe from violent carjackings, auto thefts, street racing and impaired drivers," Ford told reporters in Mississauga. "They'll allow for faster and safer pursuits of stolen vehicles."

The OPP says the state-of-the-art helicopters will support police in Toronto and Ottawa.

"What makes this ground-breaking is that this is the first time in the OPP's history that we will be providing dedicated air support to other police services," OPP Deputy Commissioner Kari Dart told reporters.

"The creation of the new Air Support Unit is a remarkable milestone in police from which so many communities will greatly benefit."

Kerzner and Deputy Commissioner Dart, will join MPP Lisa MacLeod, Mayor Mark Sutcliffe and Ottawa Police Chief Eric Stubbs for an announcement in Ottawa on Tuesday.

Police focusing on hot spots in Ottawa

The Ottawa Police Service will receive support from the skies as it continues to focus on known hot spots for vehicle thefts.

"Our frontline folks are doing a lot of proactive patrols and it's where we've had some success," Stubbs told reporters last week. "An owner discovers their vehicle is missing, so they call us. We've been able to respond and get that vehicle back into that driveway within a couple of hours."

Stubbs says Ottawa's proximity to Montreal makes the capital an appealing spot for thieves.

"It's quicker in and quicker out to that organized crime group that comes into town," he said.

Gloucester-Southgate is the hot spot for vehicle thefts in Ottawa in 2024, with 95 vehicle thefts reported. There have been 68 vehicle thefts reported in Bay ward and 59 vehicles stolen in Rideau-Vanier.