Homeowners barricading their driveways with steel posts to prevent auto theft

Toronto.Citynews.ca
Aug. 31, 2023
Pat Taney

You’ve no doubt seen steel posts, known as bollards, in commercial parking lots like gas stations and supermarkets, but there’s a growing demand from homeowners to have them installed in their driveways. Many of them are calling Brady Wilson with Got Concrete Inc.

“I’m getting more and more calls about installing these on private properties to prevent vehicle theft, people want to protect their assets,” Wilson said.

The steel posts being installed in driveways are removable or foldable, unlocked with a special key.

“They essentially create a barrier to prevent someone from stealing your vehicle,” Wilson said.

They’re not cheap. The average cost of installation is in the thousands of dollars, but as vehicle thefts skyrocket in Toronto -- up nearly 40 per cent from last year -- people are desperate.

Toronto Police at 53 Division posted a photo to social media promoting a home that had them installed. Reaction from the public was mixed. The post had a lot of likes, with some users asking where to get them installed. But the post also raised concerns and questions.

“So that’s your response to this? Why don’t I just get armed guards too?” one person said on social media.

CityNews showed the post to people on the streets and their reaction was the same. Many said this isn’t an option they can afford. Other people we spoke with were interested in getting bollards themselves but some asked about whether cities allow them. The answer is ‘yes.’

“City bylaws do not prohibit bollards on private property, provided there are no concerns related to sightlines or obstructions,” a City of Toronto spokesperson said.

Wilson said that’s the same rule for nearly every municipality he’s worked in to install these across the GTA.

“The rule I always tell homeowners is you should try to make sure the installation is done within your property line, then you should be good to go,” he said.

While the bollard boom has been good for Wilson’s business, he is not celebrating.

“It really is terrible how society has turned this way, where now you’re going to these extreme steps just to protect every asset,” he said. “Nothing is safe.”