After several recent and brazen carjackings in Chicago — including one incident captured on video that took place in broad daylight on the Dan Ryan Expressway — the Cook County Sheriff's Office on Thursday is expected to announce an "anti-carjacking initiative" meant to crackdown on the crimes.
According to the Sheriff's office, November is historically the month that sees the most carjackings in the city. Earlier this year, The Chicago-Sun Times reported more than 500 reports of carjackings had already been logged from January to April of 2022.
In 2021 alone, the Cook County Sheriff's Office confirms that Chicago saw nearly 2,098 incidents of vehicular hijacking. According to reports, that's more than double the amount in New York City and Los Angeles combined.
One of Chicago's most recent carjacking incidents last week on the Dan Ryan Expressway was captured on video by another driver, who was on his way home from work.
The witness, a Joliet iron worker, says he was driving home from work Friday morning when he noticed a crash in the southbound lanes of the expressway and saw passengers bailing from one of the vehicles involved.
The man, who was recording the incident on his phone, says he initially thought the people leaving the vehicle may have been hurt, or were checking on the other car. But as the scene continued to unfold, he learned that was not the case.
Video from the witness, who was interviewed by NBC 5 but asked to not be identified, shows a man dressed in black with a black ski mask and what appeared to be a gun in his waistband. According to the witness, the man walked back and forth down the lanes of the expressway. The man eventually asked the witness to give him a ride, offering him money.
According to the witness, the man attempted to carjack passing vehicles, eventually fleeing the scene in a red SUV that was stopped due to the crash ahead.
Illinois State Police says the red SUV was found abandoned hours later, and that the car involved in the initial crash was stolen.
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No one has been arrested, and no injuries were reported.
While the incident captured on video has nearly gone viral, it's just one of a slew of vehicular hijackings across the city.
According to data analyzed from NBC 5 Investigates, from Jan. 1 through July 24 of 2022, Chicago saw 942 vehicular hijackings, which averages to more than four a day.
Just 57 of those cases have resulted in an arrest, according to city data.
According to the Cook County Sherriff's office, Thursday's anti-carjacking announcement is part of an initiative first rolled out in 2021, which encourages automakers and car owners to place a sticker on their vehicle -- an effort meant to both deter thieves, and help law enforcement more easily track the car should it be stolen.
The Sheriff's office says an updated effort will help streamline the application process to receive a sticker.
The announcement is scheduled for 10 a.m. Thursday morning, a press release from the Sheriff's office said. NBC 5 will stream the announcement live, and it will play in the video above once it begins.
