Lawmakers weigh the federal government’s role in combating carjackings

WASHINGTON D.C. — Since the pandemic began, violent crime has been on the rise in cities across the country, and that includes carjackings.

The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing Tuesday and heard from law enforcement and legal experts about how the federal government can do more to help.

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“Preventing and prosecuting violent crime is primarily a state and local responsibility, but there is an important role for the federal government,” said Committee Chair Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.).

“The increase in this violent crime of carjacking is part of a very disturbing trend nationwide,” said Ranking Member Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa). “It’s time to start looking for solutions.”

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83-year-old Geneva Jarrett found herself the victim of a carjacking last week in Hickory, North Carolina, when a masked gunman demanded her car keys.

“He just pointed the gun at me to my face,” said Jarrett. “The only words he said was ‘keys.’”

“Anyone in a car is a potential victim,” Cook County Sheriff Thomas Dart told lawmakers during his testimony.

Dallas Police Chief Edgardo Garcia testified on behalf of the Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA) and outlined some of the challenges communities are facing in cracking down on violent crime.

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“District attorneys at times are reluctant to prosecute certain crimes including some violent and gun crimes, and judges continue to release violent offenders pretrial,” said Garcia. “Make no mistake please, the general lack of accountability nationwide is contributing to the increase in violent crime and carjacking.”

Legal experts urged Congress to give prosecutors more legal options when going after carjacking suspects.

“I have seen a greater need for expansion of federal law enforcement activity and overall will to prosecute carjacking,” said Justin Herdman, a former U.S. Attorney in Cleveland, Ohio.

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Currently, the FBI does not have a system for tracking carjackings.

Durbin said he’s calling on the FBI and the Department of Justice to collect nationwide data on carjackings.

“We need more information on the prevalence of this crime,” said Durbin. “We can’t solve a problem if we don’t understand it.”

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