Opinion

Page 2: Information helps combat carjacking trend

In February, an armed juvenile jumped into a car in the 17500 block of Dixie Highway, ordered the occupant to exit the vehicle, then he and an accomplice drove away.

On May 16, a similar scenario played out across town in the 17900 block of Halsted St.
In both cases, the theft occurred in broad daylight. In both cases, the perpetrators were soon apprehended. In the second case, one of the suspects was shot by an Indiana trooper at the end of a pursuit after allegedly displaying a handgun.

Incidents like these are happening with increasing frequency in Chicagoland, especially on the West Side of Chicago and in the Western Suburbs, according to the Cook County Sheriff’s Department. The South Suburbs are not immune from the scourge. Local law enforcement and the sheriff’s department are working to address the problem and to educate drivers about how to avoid becoming victims of carjackers.

The Homewood Police Department posted a list of tips on its Facebook page shortly after the May incident.

Tips from the Homewood Police Department about how to reduce the chances
of being a carjacking victim.
(Provided image)


In April, the sheriff’s department held a carjacking seminar in Tinley Park.

Sheriff’s Department Senior Project Manager Roe Conn told the audience that the situations like what happened in Homewood are fairly typical, although he sought to downplay the idea that juveniles commit carjackings to go on joyrides or as part of social media stunts. That happens, he said, but in most cases, juveniles are working with adults who are pros at car thefts.

Stolen cars are often obtained in order to be used in committing other crimes, he said, and carjacking happens to be the fastest and least complicated method of obtaining vehicles.

Juveniles represent almost half the carjacking arrests because the pros use them as drivers. Soon after the theft, they will stop and change drivers, putting a juvenile behind the wheel of the stolen car because they are less likely to go to jail if caught, Conn said.

It’s all part of a well-honed strategy.

“In the world of carjacking, this is their job. They know what they’re doing. They know what the rules are. They know what the laws are. They’re very aware of their surroundings. You need to be as aware of your surroundings and also understand their mindset as best you can,” he said.

Conn recommended that drivers consider registering their vehicles with the sheriff’s department, because that can speed up tracking and improve the chances of recovering a stolen vehicle. The form can be found at bit.ly/sheriff-auto-tracking.

Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart announced in April his support for bills in the Illinois legislature that would require auto manufacturers to provide more information about the tracking capabilities of cars they make. Conn explained that being able to track stolen vehicles is a powerful tool for law enforcement in the battle against carjackers.

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