Home invasions are up sharply in Toronto, and residents of some of the city’s wealthiest neighbourhoods say they feel targeted and are turning to security upgrades.
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they → say → upgrades
As of Oct. 8, according to Toronto police data, there have been 112 home invasions in 2026, representing a 47.4 per cent increase compared to the same period last year.
As with Thursday’s incident in the Bridle Path neighbourhood, a home invasion can have multiple victims.
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invasion → accord → victims
Those numbers may be on pace to jump past the previous five-year high.
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numbers → jump → high
There were 111 in 2023 and that climbed to a high of 231 victims in 2024.
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that → be → 2024
On Thursday morning, three people broke into a home, shooting three victims and attacking another with a hammer.
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people → break → hammer
“We recognize how frightening and disturbing an incident like this is,” said Insp. Kristy Smith of the Toronto police hold-up squad at a press conference at the scene.
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Smith → recognize → scene
“People should be able to feel safe in their homes.”
What’s the difference between a break-in and a home invasion?
The difference between a break-in and home invasion is in the latter there is some confrontation with a person in the home.
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difference → feel → home
Often, thieves are targeting vehicles.
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thieves → target → vehicles
That said, several residents of affluent neighbourhoods in Toronto say they have seen the evolution of cars being taken from the driveway to break-ins aiming to swipe keys by the door to violent confrontations where thieves find people in the home and threaten them to get keys and other valuables.
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thieves → say → keys
Her family awoke to a loud banging, as thieves smashed through a window at the front door to break-in.
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thieves → awake → door
Terrified, she gathered her children and her husband went to confront the thieves.
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husband → gather → thieves
The thieves managed to get away with keys and stole a vehicle.
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thieves → manage → vehicle
“I actually want to talk about it because I think that it traumatizes families what’s happening,” said Nuttall.
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Nuttall → want → families
“For us to be terrified in what is supposed to be a really safe neighbourhood, it’s just so concerning for the city.
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it → terrify → city
It’s Rosedale, Forest Hill, Bennington Heights, all these neighbourhoods.
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It → ’ → ?
Everyone is terrified.
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Everyone → terrify → ?
Residents have taken to using a variety of security measures, such as security cameras, hiring private companies to patrol the area and film that reinforces windows in hopes of thwarting a violent break-in.
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that → take → in
How residents are upgrading home security
The increase has some residents looking into hiring security companies that are using AI-powered Automatic License Plate Readers (ALPR) cameras to track vehicles coming in and out of a neighbourhood.
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that → upgrade → neighbourhood
A company called NHBR, has the Canadian rights to Flock, ALPR cameras that have proliferated across the U.S. and is actively recruiting customers in Toronto with the plans to soon rollout their security solution.
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that → call → solution
“We know that any home invasion is alarming and terrifying for residents, and we take these incidents extremely seriously,” said Nadine Ramadan, spokesperson for Toronto police, who was interviewed prior to Thursday’s incident.
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who → know → incident
“Our Hold Up Squad and other specialized units work with communities through prevention strategies, targeted enforcement, and ongoing investigations to address crime concerns.”
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Squad → work → concerns
Last year, in March, a group of five men broke into a home in the Glencairn Avenue and Avenue Road area and one of the homeowners was shot in the leg.
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one → break → leg
In August 2025, Abdul Aleem Farooqi, a 46-year-old father of four, was killed during a targeted home invasion in Vaughan.
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Farooqi → kill → Vaughan
Five people were charged in November.
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people → charge → November
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