Major cities across the US have observed carjackings spike by up to 510 per cent in a 'disturbing' trend some are attributing to l...
Major cities across the US have observed carjackings spike by up to 510 per cent in a 'disturbing' trend some are attributing to lax punishment and a shift in driving habits.
In line with an overall rise in violent crime across the nation, cities such as Chicago, New York, Philadelphia and New Orleans are experiencing a jump in violent vehicle takeovers as critics slam criminal reform systems.
Others say changes that have come about during the pandemic - including curbside pickup and an increased demand for delivery service - are contributing to the jump.
In Chicago, 1,849 carjackings were reported last year - a 510 per cent increase from the 303 vehicular hijackings in 2014, according to city data. Last year's figure represents a 30 per cent increase from the 1,413 cases reported in 2020.
City Alderman Ray Lopez weighed in on the matter, telling CNN: 'It's like the perfect storm, where all these soft on crime policies have come to a head during this pandemic.'
Meantime, New York City has seen carjacking rising by more than 350 per cent in the past three years, to 510 in 2021. Comparatively, there were 328 cases in 2020, 132 in 2019, and 112 cases in 2018, CNN reported.
An NYPD opined to the New York Post: 'New York has become carjack city, Between the guns and the low-risk of stealing cars, we’ve seen this explosion in carjackings.'
Other cities experiencing a surge in cases include Philadelphia, which reported 750 carjackings last year, a 34 per cent year-over-year increase, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said in an online statement.
'The onslaught of violence happening in Philadelphia is entirely unacceptable and we remain committed to stemming these trends,' Outlaw said.
'One of the more disturbing trends that we have seen in Philadelphia is the startling increase in the number of carjackings – the taking of a vehicle by force or fear - that have been experienced over the past two years.'
She said it's possible the trend relates to the pandemic.
'The COVID-19 Pandemic has normalized mask wearing, and this has provided additional opportunity for offenders to avoid catching their victim’s attention, as well as making it more difficult to identify perpetrators,' she said.
A rise in carjackings prompted Philadelphia's top cop to put out a warning to residents
Pictured: A New York City cop investigates a suspected carjacking on January 12, 2022
Illinois State Senator Kimberly Lightford
The situation in Philly made headlines after Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon, 62, a progressive Democrat, was robbed at gunpoint.
She was not injured by the gunman, who made off with her purse, wallet and phone.
Less than a day later, Illinois State Senator Kimberly Lightford revealed she was as carjacked at gunpoint.
Lightford, 53, a Democrat who has been slammed by as being 'soft on crime' for seeking to defund police departments in Illinois, was not physically harmed during the incident, a portion of which was caught on a Ring camera in suburban Chicago on Tuesday.
Last June, the University of Chicago's Urban Labs department released a report that showed police made arrests in just 11 per cent of car jackings in 2020; it made arrests in 20 per cent of 2019's cases.
Minneapolis Police Chief Jefferey Norman told CNN that the justice system caused 'revolving door' of criminals who felt 'emboldened to be repeat offenders.
'We saw this on a higher level in 2020 and 2021,' he said.
New Orleans, Louisiana has record 36 carjackings so far this year - an 1,100 percent year-over-year increase from this time last year
The numbers are also moving in the wrong direction in New Orleans, which saw its most marked jump when cases hit 278 in 2020, a 104 per cent increase from 2019, NOLA.com reported.
There were 288 carjackings in the city last year.
So far this year, 36 carjackings have been reported - an 1,100 percent increase since this time last year, according to Metro Crime, which tracks the city's policing trends.
Last week, the Louisiana city's crime rise led to a quarrel between New Orleans Police Superintendent Shaun Ferguson and District Attorney Jason Williams, the outlet reported.
While Ferguson pointed the finger at a soft-on-crime justice system, Williams called police out on their low clearance rate.
Ferguson is blaming the rest of the criminal justice system for failing to hold offenders accountable, while Williams is bemoaning what he calls a low NOPD clearance rate.
'The people of this city are rightly frustrated,' Williams told reporters during a recent press conference. 'What we need is for the chief to understand that their role in the criminal legal system does not end in simply arrest. You gotta have evidence in court.'
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