Carjacking

One crime concept that has taken off like wildfire is carjacking.  Why, you ask?  It has a lot less to do the Play Station and Xbox games glamorizing it then you think.  Essentially carjacking is violent auto theft.  The driver and passengers are often left inside the car and forced to ride along with the thief.  In some cases the subjects will release the hostages once they have gained control of the situation (usually a few blocks down the road).  But in the event that they can't "gain control of the situation" They may keep the hostages with them and take them to a second crime scene.  These second crime scenes are usually a lot worse and more violent then the first.

Why Thugs Carjack?

The thought of steeling a car is as old as the automobile it's self.  However, during a "regular" car theft the driver is no where near the car - and as a result the keys are probably with the driver.  By car jacking the car you get the car with the keys and can even roll the driver for his wallet.  Quite possibly the subject just wants the car so he can take it to a local fence and sell it.  But just as often carjacker's want your car in order to escape. 

How Often Does Carjacking Occur?

From 1993-2002 approximately 34,000 carjackings occurred each year.  That figures out to about one every 15 minutes.

Where Does Carjacking Occur?

Typical Carjacker

Most often (56%) carjacking is committed by groups of two or more.  The typical carjacker is a male (97%).  Weapons were used in 74% of all carjackings.  45% used a firearm, 11% used a knife and 18% used some other type of weapon.

Typical Victim

Victims are injured in 32% of completed and 17% of attempted carjackings 21% of these victims needed medical attention; including emergency room visits and hospitalization.  These injuries consisted mostly of broken teeth, bruises (about 15%) however, in 9% of the cases serious injuries such as gunshot wounds, broken bones and serious internal injuries occurred.  During the study it was found that 15 murders had occurred in conjunction with auto theft. 

What To Do!

The basic goal is to put up as many signs as possible that say "DON'T PICK ME".  Here are some basic tips for you:

Before you leave..

• Know where your car is in the parking lot - walk directly to it to avoid unwanted attention
• If your nervous ask for a security escort from the building or store security
• Teach your children to enter and exit the car quickly
• Know your route and let friends and family know where you'll be
• Separate your car and house keys if possible
• Avoid leaving garage door openers in your car
• Consider a car alarm - definitely a panic button

Parking your car..

• Park in well lit areas
• Avoid parking spaces close to the wood line, abandoned buildings or other places for would-be criminals to hide
• Use valet parking if possible
• Never leave your car running and unattended
• LOCK YOUR DOORS

On your way to the car..

• Walk directly to your car
• Avoid crowds of young people
• Walk with confidence
• Look for people in parked cars or just standing around
• Avoid honking the horn with the key fob; this tells possible attackers where your heading
• If your approached change directions and moved toward safety (such as a crowd or store entrance)
• Consider carrying a device like the Wild Kat Key Chain
• Avoid walking to your car alone

At the car..

• Make a good visual inspection of under, around and inside the car
• Get you and our family inside quickly
• Load packages and groceries quickly and look around while your doing it
• Lock the doors as soon as your inside
• Don't sit there.  Start your car and drive away immediately

On the road..

• Keep your doors locked while you drive
• If your involved in an accident and you do not feel safe getting out - don't; wait for the police
• Consider arming your vehicle with an Auto Unit Pepper Spray
• Avoid using drive thru ATMs - can you make the pot any sweeter?  A car and money!
• Keep your gas tank at least 1/2 - running out of gas is a bad thing no matter what..
• Leave distance between you and the car in front of you when stopped - leave an escape route

Car problems..

• If you're the one who has the problems be very cautions of people who offer to help - especially young men
• If you use a CB radio to call for help wait for the police - some people monitor those radios with bad intentions
• If you're vehicle can still move you can wave for the person to follow you to a gas station
• If you have a flat in a dark area drive slowly to the nearest service station.  Your life is worth more than a tire
• If someone asks for your assistance and you're uncomfortable - call 911 and move to a safe location

If you're carjacked..

• If he has a weapon do as he says unless you know he's going to kill you and you've weighed the risks
• Don't chase them - let the police do that
• Be a good witness - remember what he looks like and what he said
• Never willingly go to a second crime scene - drop your keys and run like mad - bad things happen to hostages
• If you have no choice insist on driving - then crash into a solid object near a crowded area - people will come

After you're carjacked..

• CALL THE POLICE - 911
• Write down everything you remember
• Change your house door locks immediately and reset your garage door opener to a different security code