DA Larry Krasner announces new carjacking unit
Carjackings hit an all-time high in 2022, with more than 1,300 reported, the Philadelphia Police Department told The Inquirer. That figure represents a 53% increase over last year.
The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office has formed a unit focusing on carjackings, which hit a record high in Philadelphia this year.
The Carjacking Enforcement Unit will work closely with several law enforcement divisions to investigate and prosecute carjacking cases, District Attorney Larry Krasner said Thursday. The unit’s creation came after a $1.5 million increase to the District Attorney’s Office budget.
“This new unit will enable my office to pursue strong cases built on solid evidence in order to hold accountable those who are threatening the lives and security of Philadelphia residents,” Krasner said.
Carjackings hit an all-time high in 2022, with more than 1,300 reported, the Philadelphia Police Department told The Inquirer last week. That figure represents a 53% increase over last year and is nearly six times the annual reported total three years ago. In all, 11 people were shot during carjackings this year.
Police made 305 arrests for carjackings this year — 146 of which were juvenile suspects. Of those arrested, the District Attorney’s Office has charged 304 individuals.
The Carjacking Enforcement Unit will work with a number of groups to aid in solving cases, including the Gun Violence Task Force, the Homicide and Non-Fatal Shootings Unit, and the Criminal Intelligence Unit. Led by Assistant District Attorney Helen Park, the unit will pursue the cases through “vertical” prosecution, Krasner said.
Typically, cases such as carjackings are handled “horizontally,” and involve different attorneys handling different phases of prosecution. With the new approach, a case handled by the Carjacking Enforcement Unit will have “the same group of people managing it from beginning to end,” Krasner said.
The unit will also focus on both adult and juvenile suspects, though juvenile cases are handled differently and are more focused on rehabilitation. Assistant District Attorney Yasmine Finnegan, the unit’s assistant supervisor, will head up cases involving juveniles.
“Adults who are engaging in carjacking and terrifying the community and tearing apart society are looking at a hammer,” Krasner said Thursday. “When you’re going after juveniles, there is a place for a hammer, and then there is a place for knowing the difference and knowing when we’re all safer if we work more on the rehabilitation end of that.”
In explaining the creation of the unit, Krasner pointed to the case of Jonathan Akubu, who was charged with two counts of murder and other offenses after he was arrested in February. Police say that Akubu, 28, led a loosely organized carjacking ring and may be responsible for up to four dozen point-of-gun car robberies. No trial date for Akubu has been scheduled.
“The Akubu case in many ways is the genesis of this,” Krasner said, adding that the resources needed to pursue such cases “are more than any one law enforcement entity can manage.”
Carjackings, Krasner said, are something of a linchpin in crime in the city overall, as carjacked vehicles often go on to be used in other serious crimes, including shootings and homicides, in order to help perpetrators hide their identities. A stolen vehicle, for example, was used during the shooting near Overbrook High School in November, Krasner said. A shooting at Roxborough High School in September also involved a stolen car.
“That pattern is just very, very common right now in Philadelphia,” Krasner said.