Maryland’s congressional delegation met with prosecutors Tuesday and pledged to provide resources to help fight a wide range of crimes, including murder, carjackings and a surge in stolen cars.
“Our delegation’s made it clear that public safety is our top priority,” said U.S. Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., after he and other lawmakers met with the prosecutors at the U.S. Capitol.
The number of cars stolen in Prince George’s County so far this year is more than double what it was last year, officials said.
Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy said a TikTok trend hasn’t helped the situation.
“The challenge that was on TikTok really added, unfortunately, to the desire for young people to commit that crime,” she said.
Video “challenges” have been posted in recent months, showing how to steal certain models of Kias and Hyundais. That’s led to an increase in reports of those cars being stolen in cities across the country.
Braveboy noted that automakers have been responding to the issue and expressed hope that, along with policymakers, the problem can be better addressed.
Last week, Prince George’s County gave out about 150 steering wheel locks to owners of Kias and Hyundais, to help protect their vehicles from theft.
Braveboy noted that the number of carjackings in the county has dipped slightly in recent weeks.
But the number of carjackings across the Washington area remains historically high.
Figures reported in Axios D.C. show that in 2019, D.C. had 152 reported carjackings. That figure soared to 485 last year.
Cardin and other lawmakers said they understand how troubling crime is to their constituents and pledged to work as closely as they can with prosecutors and law enforcement to provide the resources they need.
Monday’s meeting included nearly all the members of Maryland’s congressional delegation, as well as Braveboy and Baltimore City State’s Attorney Ivan Bates.
