Carjacking Prevention Campaign

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico –The United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico, W. Stephen Muldrow, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge Joseph González, announced today the launch of a carjacking education and prevention campaign with the collaboration of the Puerto Rico Police Bureau’s Stolen Vehicles Section and the Puerto Rico Department of Justice.

The public service campaign aims to raise awareness about the different safety measures that the public can adopt to prevent and protect themselves from a carjacking.

“In 2019, Puerto Rico reported more than 500 carjackings and more than 3,000 stolen vehicles. Although these numbers have decreased during the past two years, law enforcement agencies continue investigating hundreds of carjackings and thousands of vehicle thefts per year,” said U.S. Attorney Muldrow. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office, along with our federal and state partners, have developed this awareness campaign to protect the public from these crimes. The tips we are sharing will contribute to your safety and wellbeing.”

“Carjackings are crimes of opportunity and our main objective with this campaign is to make people aware of behaviors which may create opportunities for these criminals to attack,” said Joseph González, FBI Special Agent in Charge. “The best approach to violent crime is prevention and the first step in prevention is education. We hope the people will heed our advice to stay alert and thus safe. A car can be replaced, your life is irreplaceable.”

“The Puerto Rico Department of Justice works strategically alongside the federal authorities to process carjacking or stolen vehicle incidents in the most effective manner. We are united by the commitment to remove criminals from the streets of our island and process them for their crimes,” said Domingo Emanuelli, Secretary of the Puerto Rico Department of Justice. “In this instance, we joined efforts to educate citizens on how to protect themselves and avoid becoming victims of this type of crime. The protection and wellbeing of our people are our priorities.”

“To be a victim of a carjacking is one of the worst experiences a citizen can go through. However, knowing how to handle a situation of this nature can be the best weapon to face such an event and come out unscathed,” said Inspector Carlos Nazario, Coordinator of the Criminal Investigation Centers (CIC, for its acronym in Spanish) of the Puerto Rico Police Bureau. “Therefore, in coordination with our colleagues at the federal level, we will be providing guidance to communities as well as through the media. By doing this, we can further expand the message and reach a greater number of citizens.”

The campaign focuses on the following tips to prevent carjackings:

• Park in well-lit areas and don’t leave valuable items in your vehicle
• Always be aware of your surroundings, particularly in gas stations, when arriving at your residence, and near ATMs.
• Equip your car with a GPS tracker
• Lock your doors while driving
• Don’t stop for stranded strangers along the road. Note their location and pull over in a safe place to call for help.

Carjackers look for opportunities to attack distracted victims. Some of these opportunities are at: self-serve gas stations, ATM machines, parking garages, residential driveways, desolate intersections with stop lights, and highway exit ramps.

A carjacking can happen at any time. Never confront the carjacker, your life is more important and valuable. If you are a victim or witness of a crime, please report to tips.fbi.gov or call (787) 987-6500.

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