To limit auto thefts Brampton mayor Patrick Brown wants to hand out thousands of free faraday bags

Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown is pushing a new pilot program to combat auto theft in the city.

The city of Brampton will distribute free Faraday bags — inexpensive devices that block radio frequencies from important FOBs — to thousands of car owners in five areas of the city, Brown said.

In an interview with CP24, Brown said this is a stopgap solution to protect residents while authorities seek change at the national level.

“I don’t want to wait. I want to do something immediately to radically reduce the number of auto thefts happening in my community,” Brown said.

Peel Police reported a 92% increase in auto thefts in 2022 compared to 2019. In a “relay attack,” auto thieves use key FOB vulnerabilities to unlock and start a vehicle in less than 60 seconds, Brown said, creating a new stolen key FOB. Vehicles equipped with diagnostic equipment.

“Every car that gets stolen is fueling organized crime in Canada. That’s the bigger problem,” Brown said.

It is hoped that the use of Faraday bags will help limit the prevalence of this type of theft.

“The Faraday Bag is a $6 item that can keep a $60,000 car safe from theft in less than 60 seconds,” Brown said in a news release.

Brampton plans to measure its impact on car theft and, if there is a sharp decline, expand the pilot program to other areas, Braun said.

Brown said high car thefts contribute to high insurance premiums in his city.

The proposed pilot project will be submitted in its entirety to the City Council for final approval on February 8th.