A spate of carjackings in D.C. and Prince George’s County is a stark reminder for Washington-area drivers to be on the lookout for hijackers, police and security experts said Tuesday.
“This is truly a crime of opportunity. The thief is usually searching for the most vulnerable prey,” said Capt. John Crawford, spokesman for the Alexandria Police Department.
The random nature of the crime means it’s more difficult to protect yourself against it, said Ron Stout, a former D.C. and Fairfax police officer who now works for Lojack, an anti-car theft tracking company.
“It’s a lot easier to protect against your car being stolen than to protect against carjackings,” Stout said.
A 2004 report by the Bureau of Justice Statistics found that most carjackings occur within five miles of the victim’s home. The lesson?
“Always be aware of your surroundings,” said Cpl. Debbie Carlson, of the Prince George’s County Police Department.
Prince George’s and D.C. saw at least four carjackings between Sunday and Monday night. They were committed by young men armed with heavy machine guns, police said.
The Bureau of Justice Statistics found that “multiple carjackers” committed more than half of such crimes in the 10 years before 2002.
D.C. police said the investigation was continuing Tuesday afternoon.
Cars are usually recovered after a carjacking. That’s partly because they’re not easy to dispose of, but it’s also due to the increasing use of tracking devices and other advanced technology, Alexandria’s Crawford said.
Crawford said people should keep their cell phones handy and memorize their license plate numbers and a description of their cars so police can send out detailed alerts.
Recovering the car is only half of the battle, though, Lojack’s Stout said. It’s vital to arrest carjackers because they’re often on their way to — or from — other violent crimes. Indeed, the same carjackers in the D.C.-Prince George’s spree were also linked to up to nine other armed robberies, police said.
“Cars are stolen from in front of your house usually for parts or for nonviolent crimes,” Stout said. “A carjacker … has a more violent motive for taking that car.”
National carjacking trends, 1993-2002
» There were about 34,000 carjackings per year.
» In 90 percent of them, the driver was the only one in the car.
» 93 percent occurred in cities or suburbs.
» 74 percent of the offenders were armed.
» 24 percent of the victims were injured.
Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Crime Victimization Survey, July 2004
