OPP’s provincial Auto Theft and Towing Team says it is working hard to tackle crime in the towing industry by identifying, disrupting and dismantling organized crime groups that violate regulations and other towing companies.
“Police are aware of the ongoing crime and violence committed by a small percentage of bad actors within the towing industry, and are seeking to conduct proactive and intelligence-based investigations to identify and bring charges against those involved,” a news release said. ‘Most towing companies and operators are not involved in organized crime or criminal activities and follow the rules of the law Towing and storage safety and enforcement law (TSSEA).”
In 2024, law enforcement has stepped up action against Ontario’s towing industry, including enforcement activities, removing illegal towing companies, trucks and operators from the road, and issuing TSSEA charges. The OPP Provincial Towing Program aims to improve public safety and help reduce crime in Ontario’s towing industry.
To be a licensed Towing and Storage Service Operator (TSSO), a towing operator or towing company must comply certain requirementsincluding a criminal record check, and certification through the Ontario Ministry of Transportation.
2024 AT A GLANCE: QUICK FACTS
- OPP have filed 518 towing-related charges and removed 41 tow trucks from Ontario roads for violations. OPP Highway Safety Division completed seven proactive commercial motor vehicle (CMV) enforcement initiatives focused on tow inspections, and 30 other CMV enforcement initiatives subjecting tow trucks to inspection.
- TPS continues to crack down on tow truck-related shootings through their Tow Truck Task Force. In total, TPS imposed 507 towing-related charges Road Traffic Act and TSSEA and three tow trucks were taken off the road.
- DRPS took proactive measures, including a CMV safety initiative, to ensure safety compliance, inspecting 170 tow trucks, issuing 69 tow-related charges and removing 22 tow trucks from the road for safety violations.
- PRP Road Safety Services has been conducting inspection and enforcement activities since August 2024 as part of an ongoing initiative. So far, two arrests have been made in connection with the police. Criminal Code, 234 towing charges were imposed, 79 tow trucks inspected were found to be non-compliant and nine tow trucks were taken off the road.
- YRP implemented multiple initiatives to reduce towing-related violence and hosted a training symposium for frontline officers from across the GTA to educate them on the new TSSEA. These initiatives have led to 176 inspections of tow trucks across the region and as a result, 47 towing charges were imposed under the Road Traffic Act and TSSEA.
Anyone with information about crime in the towing sector is encouraged to contact the relevant police department. If you feel intimidated or threatened by someone in the towing industry, do not take action, keep your distance and contact the police. Concerns and complaints about towing companies can be filed via the MTO website.
KNOW YOUR SLEEP
The OPP and its partners want to remind the public that they have the right to decide who can tow their vehicle and to what location. Please visit opp.ca/drag for more information and insight into your towing rights.
“Gun violence associated with the tow truck industry remains a serious problem, with 60 tow truck-related shootings this year, accounting for 14 percent of all shooting incidents in Toronto,” said TPS Staff Superintendent Joe Matthews of Detective Operations. “We tackle tow truck-related crimes through a service-wide approach, bearing in mind that this violence stems from a small part of the industry involved in territorial disputes. Project Beacon, led by the Tow Truck Task Force, highlights the impact of coordinated efforts with our law enforcement partners, resulting in six arrests and 184 charges related to a tow truck-related murder and shooting. This is not a challenge we can tackle alone, and we will continue to work closely with our partners to combat these crimes and make our communities safer.”