'Crime Knows No Bounds': Chicago, Suburban Authorities Discuss New Overnight Shift Carjackings Task Force
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Chicago's mayor and police superintendent joined authorities from neighboring suburbs to update expansion plans to its carjacking task force.
"Crime knows no bounds and this issue affects all of us. Therefore, this regional partnership is critically important. We meet regularly share data and strategies and perform these joint operations to make a true impact on safety for our residents across the region," said Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who admitted more work needs to be done. "It's highly collaborative, data-informed task force and it's yielded results and we are making arrests."
Lightfoot said for the past year, currently the task force operates on two watches. That will be expanded to an overnight watched dedicated to carjackings.
"We also want to reassure our residents at regional law enforcement has been executing on a strategy to address this problem with notable success and we will be expanding that strategy. In early 2021. We responded to the rise and carjackings that we were seeing by establishing the vehicular hijacking Task Force," she said, adding that that the task force has doubled in size since its inception to counter the tide of carjackings in the area.
"The task force right now operates on two watches and we're looking to expand that beyond. We're also looking to collaborate with our federal partners. On a deeper level to determine which cases can be considered for federal charges and prosecutions
Some of the suburbs include Cicero, Oak Park, Westchester, Hinsdale, Maywood, Downers Grove and Villa Park.
Lightfoot and Brown highlighted the arrest of an 11-year-old carjacking suspect for a call for accountability. The child appeared in Cook County Juvenile Court on Thursday and was placed on electronic monitoring until his next court date later in February.
"The sobering statistic that half of these arrests are juveniles, including children as well as young as 11 years old, and many are repeat offenders. That's why it is crucial that we address the root causes of violence and crime with robust community services," Brown said.
