In a report released last month, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (NCSBI) found that auto thefts, including carjackings, increased by 38% in 2023 compared to 2022, while overall crime across the state increased by 2.3% and violent He noted that crime decreased by 0.1%. same period.
especially, Reported by NCSBI Last year, the number of juvenile suspects involved in auto thefts increased by 127%, with 836 juvenile arrests related to auto burglaries in 2023, compared to 369 in 2022. According to the analysis, overall arrests of juveniles charged with crimes increased by 35%.
“North Carolina is not alone in seeing carjackings on the rise, but a 38% year-over-year increase is shocking to the system. This is one reason why North Carolinians have become increasingly concerned about the impact of carjackings in recent years. “There is crime in their lives,'' Mitch Kokai, a senior political analyst at the John Locke Foundation, a North Carolina-based think tank, told FOX News Digital.
Police departments that saw particularly surprising increases in carjackings in 2023 include the city of Charlotte-Mecklenburg. The police recorded 7,156 car thefts last year, compared to 3,202 in 2022. Durham recorded 1,913 carjackings in 2023, compared to 826 in 2022. In Raleigh, there were 1,691 carjackings last year, compared to 1,037 in 2022.
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On September 30, 2024, a police officer on duty in Asheville, North Carolina. (Peter Zai/Anadolu)
According to NCSBI, these three cities saw an overall 13% increase in crime from 2022 to 2023.
Cary, a small city outside of Raleigh, also saw a more than 50% increase in car thefts, with 306 reported in 2023 compared to 126 in 2022. According to the NCSBI report, citywide crime in 2023 increased by 15% compared to the previous year. is shown.
“Carjacking has become a crime of choice in recent years.”
“These numbers are unlikely to have a negative impact on Attorney General Josh Stein's intention to move from being North Carolina's top law enforcement officer to the state's top executive, but this is likely to be the case in the next state Legislature. “It's a problem that needs to be addressed going forward. Carjacking has become a crime,” Kokai said. “It appears North Carolina law enforcement has work to do to make that choice more difficult.”
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The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) said in an Oct. 10 press release that “the overall number of vehicle thefts this year has not increased or decreased compared to this time last year, with thefts resulting from motor vehicle accidents decreasing by 9%.” said. 7,645 people in 2024 and 8,381 people in 2023).
Officer Charlotte Mecklenburg rides in her patrol car ahead of Hurricane Florence on September 13, 2018 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Callaghan O'Hare/Bloomberg)
The city also recorded a 28% year-to-date increase in homicides in 2024, while CMPD's homicide clearance rate exceeded the national average of 70% in the third quarter of 2024.
In July, CMPD Deputy Chief David Robinson said the department “remains focused on our top priority of reducing violent crime, motor vehicle crime, and juvenile delinquency in our communities.”
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“What the numbers tell us is this is not just a law enforcement issue. This is a community issue and every citizen has a role to play,” he said. “Keeping our great city safe requires all of us working together.”
In September, the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), the nation's largest police organization, endorsed Donald Trump for president at an event in Charlotte.
Former President Trump speaks at an event in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Fox News Digital)
“Security and border security will be key issues in the final months of this campaign,” said FOP National Director Patrick Yaws. “Our members carefully considered the candidates' positions on this issue, and there was no question who they wanted as president for the next four years. That was Donald J.・It was Trump.”
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Yaws said he had “made clear that he supported law enforcement and border security” during President Trump's first term and “acted alongside” police during the summer 2020 riots.
“As the nation's oldest and largest law enforcement labor organization, the FOP's presidential endorsement is one of the most sought-after endorsements from candidates running for president,” Yaws said.
“FOP is the primary voice of America's law enforcement. We rely on our members, America's 800,000 sworn law enforcement officers, and the communities they serve to guide our investigations. We have a responsibility to play a role in determining where the country will go.”
