Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times
Carjackings in Chicago skyrocketed to 1,362 this year — a 105% increase compared to 2019.
While the coronavirus pandemic and widespread mask use may have emboldened criminals, police officials said carjackings were rising well before the March stay-at-home order.
Still, the pandemic placed even greater economic pressure on some residents in areas where good jobs are scarce.
“COVID has made a situation that’s already desperate even more desperate,” said David Stovall, professor of African American Studies and criminology at the University of Illinois-Chicago.
“It’s never excusing the action. It’s about understanding it. It’s an act of desperation.”