Chicago law enforcement frustrated as struggle continues against spike of carjackings in 2020

Carjackings throughout Chicago have skyrocked during 2020 | File Photo

By Savannah Howe

Dec 8, 2020

Chicago law enforcement officials are struggling with the spike in carjacking events in 2020 as the number of car thefts more than doubled reported incidents of 2019 as of late November.

By Thanksgiving weekend 1,150 reported carjackings had occurred in Chicago, according to police statistics as reported in an NBC Chicago article. The Nov. 30 article reports that police statistics show just 507 carjacking incidents in 2019 in comparison to this years total.

A variety of factors have contributed to the skyrocket in carjackings.

Juveniles arrested for alleged carjacking charges no long are transferred to adult court, due to legislations changes in 2016 | File Photo

Police say that thieves wearing face masks, which is now a norm during the pandemic, makes the theft of a vehicle much easier. Without ever having facial features shown that could reveal their identities, suspects have been able to simply approach a vehicle, pull the driver out, hop in the driver's seat and then take off. With no description of the subject available because of the facial coverings, police are left helpless to launch an investigation.

Of those who are apprehended by the police, a large number of them are minors, explained Chicago Police deputy chief Brendan Deenihan, according to the NBC Chicago article. A 2016 legislation changing the severity of a carjacking charge for adolescents and teens arrested. Juvenile arrests made for alleged car theift charges are no longer automatically transferred to adult court, and therefore result in less severe consequences.

According to the NBC Chicago article, carjacking rates had spiked by 64% by April of this year, quickly grabbing the same concern that officials have shown with increased rates of gun violence and looting in the Windy City, Deenihan told the Chicago Tribune. These spikes in crimes skyrocked particularly in the wake of the death of George Floyd.

“The numbers are extremely high,” Deenihan told the Chicago Tribune, “Since really the beginning of June and then through July and August when the civil unrest started the carjackings really spiked out of control.”

As reported by the NBC Chicago article, Deenihan stated in his October interview with the ChicagoTribune that only 120 carjacking arrests had occurred this year, a small fraction of the total carjackings reported.