Home invasions by criminals seeking to steal automobiles rose 400 percent last year, according to the Toronto Police Service, and one officer said there's an easy way for residents to protect themselves from such a crime. "To prevent the possibility of being attacked in your home, leave your fobs at your front door," said Const. Marco Ricciardi during a community meeting. "They're breaking into your home to steal your car. They don't want anything else." He further warned, "A lot of them that they're arresting have guns on them and they're not toy guns, they're real guns. They're loaded." In a statement, the police service said it is concerned about "an escalation in violence" when weapons are used to steal autos. But it acknowledged there are other ways to reduce the chances of home invasion and auto theft, such as installing a security system and reporting suspicious people and vehicles.
