The Ontario Provincial Police Towing Enforcement Strategy team says it has laid nearly 1,800 charges in a bid to clean up the troubled industry.
The dedicated enforcement strategy was prompted by a series of troubling incidents, often involving violence.
“In just the first three months of this year, nearly 20 shootings were linked to the towing industry in the GTA,” OPP Staff Sgt. Reggie Dava said in a video released on social media.
Dava said the OPP’s team worked with partners from other police forces to crack down on bad apples within the industry.
“Many operators are professional and law-abiding, but there remains a serious criminal element,” he said. “Fraud extortion, intimidation, and violence that must be confronted.”
Out of the total charges, 1,437 were Provincial Offences Act charges, with 365 Tow and Storage Safety and Enforcement Act charges laid.
Dava said they continue to actively monitor the industry and the turf wars that have led to violence.
An OPP video posted online Thursday is interspersed with surveillance video of arson and shooting incidents.
1,800+ charges laid during dedicated towing enforcement strategy: addressing criminal activity, enforcing new legislation and ensuring operations are safe and legal.
Although only a small percentage of the towing industry is involved in criminal activities and acts of violence,… pic.twitter.com/NObZc2HAxa
— Ontario Provincial Police (@OPP_News) August 28, 2025
This past June both Toronto and Peel police announced numerous arrests stemming from probes into the towing industry.
Peel police’s Project Outsource resulted in 18 arrests and the recovery of millions of dollars tied to an organized network allegedly working within the towing industry.
Police say several suspects were linked to towing companies operating under the names Certified Roadside and Humble Roadside. Investigators allege the individuals were involved in staged vehicle collisions as part of an insurance fraud scheme and used threats, physical violence, and firearms to assert control over towing operations in the region.
Toronto police, meanwhile, shared the results of Project Yankee — an investigation into tow truck wiretaps that led to 20 people being arrested and more than 100 charges laid.
Of the individuals arrested, police said 10 were charged with multiple counts of conspiracy to commit murder.
Project Yankee zeroed in on a network of individuals who called themselves “The Union” — a group alleged to be behind a series of violent incidents aimed at seizing control of the towing industry.
With files from Lucas Casaletto
