WASHINGTON — The statistics surrounding carjackings across the metro region are alarming. On Wednesday, the Metropolitan Police Department and Prince George’s County Police said carjackings involving teenagers are up 2 to 1 compared to adults.
It’s why they addressed the growing and disturbing trend in a joint news conference along with DC Mayor Muriel Bowser and Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks.
Chief Contee said his officers will be moving to the border of Prince George’s County. He said a number of carjackings start in D.C. and cross over into Prince George’s county and vice-versa.
Both Chiefs, Contee and Malik Aziz of Prince George’s County, said it’s going to take more than officers to stop these kids from stealing cars.
"Playtime is over,” Chief Contee said.
Prince George's County Police Chief Aziz echoed the statement, saying “this cannot continue.”
2021 was one of the worst years in recent history for carjackings. According to leaders, of the 132 carjackings in D.C., 85 of those arrested were under the age of 18. Across the border, 152 carjackings, 86 of them by a juvenile.
Their frustration vehemently echoed by Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks.
“This is increasing in a way that is alarming and should be very alarming,” she said.
“We have seen a troubling increase in carjackings across our region, driven in large part by juveniles,” said Alsobrooks. “Our ecosystem is damaged, and while we are doing everything we can to resolve this issue, it cannot be solved by government and police departments alone. We need our community and families to step up and join us by wrapping their arms around these kids because they are the future of our community.”
Contee and Aziz are both calling for accountability.
“The accountability is only here. When we get true accountability, then our other partners that are in the system will be challenged for their actions,” Chief Aziz said.
In Maryland, carjacking offenses for an adult is a felony carrying up to 30 years if convicted.
In D.C., it can carry a minimum of seven years after legislation was passed in 1993 after a rise in carjackings. Chief Contee reflected on years past when carjackings were similar. Up until 1993, a carjacking was reported as either armed robbery or auto theft in the District of Columbia. In response to several highly-publicized incidents, the D.C. Council passed laws providing stiffer penalties for individuals arrested and convicted of carjacking. It is critical that victims report these crimes to the police.
“Those changes came in the form of holding people accountable,” Contee said.
But for juveniles, the sentence could be diverted to a youth program that doesn’t require incarceration.
Chief Aziz said while those programs have some success, it's not the best option for every offender.
“Sometimes you have to rehabilitate people on the inside until they show that they can live properly among us on the outside,” Aziz said.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said plainly, her office, or any other, isn't placing blame on any one entity for the rise in carjackings, and asked everyone to pay attention to the laws already in place.
"We’re asking everyone to step up,” Bowser said. "We are particularly focused on how we reach our young people – how we engage young people so they don’t get involved in violent activity, how we hold them accountable when they do, and how we get them on a more productive and positive path forward," she added.
In February of 2021, D.C. Police launched a task force to address carjackings, auto thefts, and unauthorized use of vehicle offenses. Prince George's County addressed the issue with similar measures. They also spoke about how they’re working on the legal logistics of being able to patrol both borders and asked other community and religious leaders to engage the youth in hopes of keeping them out of trouble.
MPD and PGPD will have resources embedded within each department to share information about crimes. The task force is also charged with pinpointing strategies to increase accountability for those responsible for committing violent crimes in the District.
Data provided by Mayor Bowser's office for 2020 shows MPD arrested 34 adults and 59 juveniles. Those numbers grew in 2021, 50 adults and 101 juveniles were arrested for carjacking offenses in the District.
According to a news release, as of February 1, 2022, there have been 19 total arrests for carjacking offenses, 14 of which were juveniles.
These tips were provided for all drivers:
- Always lock your car
- Never leave your vehicle idling/running unattended – even if your key fob is on you, someone can still drive off with your car until it stops or gas runs out
- Always keep track of your keys, never leave them inside the vehicle
- Do not leave children unattended inside your vehicle
- Park in a safe spot
- Stay alert and aware of your surroundings
- If you are a victim of a crime, report it immediately by calling 911