The Justice Department has announced the establishment of 11 carjacking task forces in various U.S. Attorneys' Offices across the country to combat the rising public safety threat posed by carjackings. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco emphasized the importance of this initiative, stating, "The Justice Department has no higher priority than keeping our communities safe." She highlighted the success of existing task forces in cities like Chicago, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and Tampa, where carjacking rates have shown a significant decline.
The newly formed task forces aim to build on the success of their predecessors by focusing on identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the most significant drivers of violent crime. U.S. Attorneys' Offices in districts such as Oregon, Texas, Alabama, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Washington have joined the effort to address the issue of carjackings in their communities.
According to the Justice Department, carjacking and other violent crime task forces have been instrumental in reducing crime rates in various cities. For instance, Philadelphia saw a 31% decrease in carjackings from 2022 to 2023, while armed carjackings in the District of Columbia dropped by 28% compared to the previous year. In Chicago, carjacking incidents decreased by 29% from 2021 to 2023.
The task forces will bring together a coalition of law enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Attorneys' Offices, the FBI, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), to collaborate with state, local, Tribal, and territorial partners. These entities will work on implementing expedited sharing and action protocols related to car thefts and carjackings, as well as enhancing evidence gathering and technology exploitation strategies.
Furthermore, the task forces will focus on utilizing federal sentencing enhancements for cases involving juveniles in carjacking incidents and will support state and local authorities in seeking Justice Department grant funding for juvenile intervention and diversion programs.
The establishment of these carjacking task forces underscores the Justice Department's commitment to prioritizing public safety and reducing violent crime in communities across the country.