Philly DA Krasner announces new carjacking prosecution unit
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner announced a new task force that will handle carjacking-related prosecutions on Thursday. The DA's office admits this will be an uphill battle to get control of but the hope is that this new unit will help restore a sense of safety in the city.
"When we talk about carjackings, it's focusing on some of the most serious violent crime that there is," Krasner said. "There is a specific violent component and a selfishness that comes with a carjacking."
The move follows a dramatic rise in carjackings in the city. Police say so far this year there have been more than 1,300 carjackings, compared to just 200 in 2019.
Assistant District Attorney Helen Park will lead the unit as Philadelphia reports a record year of carjackings with more than 1,300 happening across the city, up 54% from last year.
"I think car sales have increased, car parts are more valuable, everything is kind of contributing to this spike," Park said.
The DA's office is launching the unit after a $1.5 million budget increase from Philadelphia City Council.
Part of the force will focus on adult offenders, the other half on minors.
"The rise in carjackings that have happened this year," Yasmine Finnegan, Philadelphia Assistant District Attorney, said, "over 150 alone have been committed by juveniles in this city. That cannot stand."
The unit will work directly with the gun violence task force and the homicide and non-fatal shooting unit.
Prosecutors say most carjackings are committed with guns and are connected to violent shootings across the city.
By establishing patterns, the DA believes getting control of carjackings can help with the gun violence crisis.
"We are seeing more and more that when there is a fatal shooting or a non-fatal shooting it is done in a car that does not belong to the people doing the shooting," Krasner said.
Krasner hopes the additional focus can lead to more successful prosecutions and safer streets.
"I am very, very confident that what we have brought to the table is the best of the best," Krasner said. "People with the experience, people with the record of achievement, people who know how to work with others, people who have shown time and again in their careers, whether those careers are longer or shorter."
"They represent the best that this office can provide," Krasner said.
Philadelphia police shared tips for reducing your chances of being carjacked. They say you should be aware of your surroundings when getting in and out of your car.
Hotspots for carjackings include:
- Driveways, parking lots, and garages.
- Also: gas stations and ATMs.
- Dark streets.
October carjacking in Germantown
High-profile carjackings called attention to the increase in incidents this year. In October, a group of people jumped out of a van at a gas station and brandished guns at a customer at one of the fuel pumps.
Video of the incident showed one of the suspects leaping onto the hood of the victim's car, pointing a gun right at him.
The incident happened at a Sunoco on Wissahickon Avenue in Germantown. The video then showed the suspects fleeing in the victim's car.
After the incident, Krasner referred to carjackings as one the worst things the city is facing.
"One of the sadder landmarks has been the enormous number of carjackings that we have seen, including some that are on video and are especially terrifying, frankly, and traumatic to anyone involved, and probably to an awful lot of people who see them. It's one of the worst crises that we face right now," he said in October.
Krasner announced in October his office was working with Philadelphia police and the U.S. Attorney's Office to address these carjacking cases after video from the Sunoco incident was released.
Krasner's office says he will also be announcing the return of his Gun Crimes Strategies & Prevention Collaborative. That's meant to address not only prosecution but prevention.
