Carjacking rates up 21% across 30 major US cities

CHICAGO (NewsNation) — Carjackings continue to rise, creating a major crime crisis for cities across the nation.

Just this weekend, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and father of two was killed while driving for Uber in Lynwood, California. Investigators said it was one of the veteran’s riders who fatally shot him and then sped off in the veteran’s car, according to NewsNation affiliate KTLA.

Car thefts have increased by 21% combined across 30 major cities in 2022, according to new data from the Council on Criminal Justice. Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Detroit, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia and Washington D.C. were among the cities impacted. In Memphis and Chicago, the numbers tripled.

Breaking the statistics down, that equates to 37,560 more thefts than in 2021 and 59% more than in 2019.

Last Monday, three armed carjackers allegedly stabbed a rideshare driver in Indianapolis and stole the victim’s vehicle. The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said they are hoping the public can help them identify and apprehend the men, whose faces were partially visible in surveillance images.

Also, last Monday, President Joe Biden signed into law legislation nullifying the recent overhaul of the District of Columbia criminal code. This means that, in a controversial move, the president overturned a law that aimed to eliminate most mandatory sentences, lower penalties for a number of violent offenses like carjackings and robberies and expand the requirement for jury trials in most misdemeanor cases. 

Biden did not issue a statement accompanying the signing Monday. But he tweeted earlier this month that while he supported statehood for D.C., “I don’t support some of the changes D.C. Council put forward over the mayor’s objections — such as lowering penalties for carjackings.”

The nation’s capital has been faced with an increase in violent crime. In the city, 82 carjackings were reported in January and February of this year alone.

The city’s police department said it is struggling with staffing and looking for ways to ramp up patrol units, especially its carjacking task force.

In Chicago, carjackings are up 136% from last year. So far this year, there have been 6,421 car thefts across the city, according to the Chicago Police Department’s weekly crime statistics.

Illinois’ secretary of state invested large amounts of money into the fight against carjackings, awarding a total of $21 million in grants to six police organizations that target car crimes. The Illinois State Police Department will use the funds to buy new equipment, such as license plate readers, to track down offenders.

In the past month, NewsNation affiliate WJZY obtained video of at least four different incidences of thieves brazenly stealing cars from dealerships in North Carolina alone.

Analysts have noted an increase in vehicle theft rates over the last few years, with some cities experiencing a 500% rise in carjackings over 2019, according to 2022 data obtained by the National Insurance Crime Bureau. Vehicle thefts in Charlotte alone increased by 20% in 2022 over 2021.

Other experts in the automotive industry believe the nationwide rise in vehicle thefts could stem from perpetrators stealing cars for their parts.

In Philadelphia, a mother and daughter were ambushed by a man armed with a gun when they were walking to their car, leaving their home.

At the end of last year, the city’s district attorney, Larry Krasner, announced a new task force unit to handle carjacking prosecutions that would hold individuals who commit these crimes “appropriately accountable.”

“Other than homicide and shooting victims, [carjacking is] the third most prevalent [crime] happening country-wide,” Philadelphia Police Inspector Charles Layton said.

According to Philadelphia Police Department data, as of September 2022, there have been 1,000 carjackings year-to-date.

Other states, like New Jersey, are taking this issue up with top leaders and are even introducing legislation. State lawmakers have proposed a series of carjacking laws that would change the way the state handles these crimes.

Bill S-3389 would establish car theft and receiving a stolen car as separate offenses. Other bills included in the series would toughen sentences for repeat offenders and make it illegal to possess and distribute tools used to steal cars. Another bill would enforce criminal penalties for selling and buying catalytic converters, which has also been on the rise.

NewsNation affiliate WJZY contributed to this report.