Crime: Carjackings Skyrocket in Cities

Carjackings are violent and pose a lethal threat to us.

It’s one thing to have your car stolen. It’s another thing entirely to be carjacked.

Carjacking involves a violent confrontation with the attacker using the threat of violence which can cause death or serious bodily injury. And the increase in carjackings over the past two years are alarming. Alarming.

Staggering Rise in Carjackings

Major U.S. cities are seeing triple digit rises in carjackings between 2019 and 2021:

• New York: 286% increase

• Philadelphia: 238% increase

• Chicago: 207% increase

• Washington, D.C.: 200% increase

• New Orleans: 159% increase

Dramatic rise of carjackings in five major U.S. cities.

David Glawe, president and CEO of the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary on Mar. 1, 2022 regarding this crime spree.

“Vehicle theft and carjackings are serious offenses that warrant the attention of public officials and policymakers,” he said. “The victims of thefts and carjackings are deserving of being vindicated and seeing that justice is served. And offenders should be held accountable for putting victims and their communities in harm’s way.”

Here are the six recommendations Glawe suggested Congress consider to reduce carjackings:

1. Increase community policing programs.

2. Revise the current criminal justice reform policies.

3. Enforce existing laws that are already on the books.

4. Focus on violent offenders.

5. Centralize collecting national and state data on carjackings.

6. Look for ways to intervene earlier in these types of crimes.

Refund the Police

“Many cities have cut police forces or slashed department funding in recent years,” said Glawe. “Drastically reducing police presence in communities across the country is not the answer. Whether through the federal COPS program or other measures, we need more community policing, not less.”

He also said the current trends for decriminalizing crime and not prosecuting criminals are fueling the trend.

“In many jurisdictions, the law as written provides adequate penalties,” said Glawe. “However, certain enforcement or reform policies have effectively nullified these laws, thereby providing little disincentive for criminals to commit these serious offenses.”

Glawe’s testimony is available here: https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/meetings/federal-support-for-preventing-and-responding-to-carjackings

Think about how much time you -- and your family members -- spend in your car every day. We need to train up to face this threat.

Could this be you? With your daughter?