CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown announced Wednesday the latest numbers of arrests for carjackings, which have been on the rise here and in other cities.
Statistics show that through March 2, there were 348 carjackings in Chicago, more than double the tally at the same time last year. Brown called the number of arrests “significant" and noted 44 percent of the 323 people arrested on motor vehicle-related charges, including carjackings, this year have been juveniles.
Brown said suspects use the carjacked vehicles to sell for parts and to commit other crimes, but the “No. 1 reason” for carjackings is joyriding.
“It’s a shame that you’ll hold a gun to someone’s head just to joyride, but that seems to be what our young people are doing that we’re capturing,” he said.
“We all need to help our young people make better choices and we need mentors to show them the way,” Brown said, including family members, teachers and others. “A system of support is the best deterrent. And for those that do offend, we need real consequences.”
The rise in carjackings across the U.S. has been aggravated by the pandemic, which has slowed the court system, Brown said.
Supt. Brown also announced a new police web page, that includes information on its recently organized carjacking task force, which includes Illinois State Police, the Cook County sheriff’s office and federal law enforcement.
The section allows the public to submit tips, including video, photos and other potential evidence, to aid investigators of carjackings. It also gives tips on how citizens can provide good, detailed descriptions of suspects to 911 operators.
Police on Wednesday introduced a carjacking victim to reporters: an Uber driver who said he was carjacked on 95th near the Dan Ryan by three teenagers, one female and two males.
“I just felt something on my head. So I looked this way and I saw it was a gun,” the driver said.
He said the teenagers took his car then came back and — again, at gunpoint — asked him for the passcode to unlock his phone.
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