Letter to Hon. Merrick Garland, Attorney General of the United States - Klobuchar Urges Justice Department to Take Action to Combat Carjackings

Letter

Dear Attorney General Garland:

I write to express concern over the rise in carjackings across the country and to urge you to ensure that federal resources are being used to support efforts to reduce these crimes. The root causes behind the increases in crime are complex, and we need to take meaningful, comprehensive action to address the problem head on.

Last week, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on this issue and the testimony made it clear that there is an ongoing nationwide epidemic of carjackings that must be urgently addressed. In my state, for example, the city of Minneapolis experienced a 537 percent increase in carjackings between 2019 and 2020, and in 2021 there were more than 640 successful or attempted carjackings reported. Nearly 90 percent of these carjackings remain unsolved. Not only are these crimes violent, but they can leave victims and entire communities feeling at risk.

While the increase in carjacking incidents is troubling, I am encouraged to see that federal investigators and prosecutors are working with state and local law enforcement and recently brought charges against a group of seven men for violent crimes including carjacking. The cases are being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local "Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program." I also appreciate the Department's continued efforts to support the hiring, retention, and training of local law enforcement officers through the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grant program, which I have championed for many years.

Nonetheless, there is more the Department of Justice can do to develop an effective response to carjackings nationwide. Accordingly, I respectfully request responses to the questions below:

How have the Department's violent crime task forces prioritized carjacking in their plans to reduce violent crime?
What resources has the Department made available to assist local law enforcement as they address the rise in carjackings?
Has the Department developed best practices that can be used by federal, state, and local law enforcement to respond to carjackings?
What steps can the Department take to help identify and address the root causes of these crimes?
Are there changes in the federal criminal law that are needed to ensure that prosecutors have the tools needed to successfully prosecute these crimes?
It is critical that the Department of Justice prioritize its coordination with state and local law enforcement officials who are working tirelessly to combat the rise in these violence crimes. Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.

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