Community safety message about Carjackings

The Berkeley Police Department has noticed a trend of carjackings occurring in Berkeley.  Carjackings are a form of robbery where a suspect takes a victim’s vehicle by force or fear.  In 2022, there were 15 reported carjackings total.  So far this year, we have already had 6 reported carjackings.

The majority of the carjackings have occurred in the evenings or early morning hours.  In most of the cases, the people who have been carjacked have been threatened with knives or guns.

While we work to arrest the persons responsible for the carjackings, we encourage the public to take the following precautions.

• When selecting a place to park, find the most well-lit and well-travelled parking space.
• When returning to your vehicle, have your belongings situated in such a way that you can quickly get in your vehicle, lock the door, and drive away.
• Remain alert and aware of your surroundings.
• If you are meeting someone for an exchange, consider making the exchange at safe-exchange site or in a well-lit well-travelled location.
• If you see something suspicious, do not hesitate to report it.
• If you do become a victim of a carjacking, report the crime as soon as possible.
• You may also want to consider adding a way to track your vehicle—such as a LoJack-style system or Airtag-style device hidden inside the vehicle.