Broad + Liberty published my piece on carjacking.
You can read the piece via the below link or the below text:
A friend of mine was recently carjacked.
He
was parked on a corner waiting to pick up his daughter from her workplace late
one evening when he saw two armed young men come up swiftly, one on each side
of his car.
My
friend is a genuine South Philly tough guy, and under other circumstances, he
would have fought back. He has a license to carry, and his firearm was in a
holster on his hip, but he thought better of it. He told me that he didn’t know
if his daughter was at that moment walking out of her workplace, and he didn’t
want her to get hurt in a crossfire.
He
got out of his car and handed over his car keys.
Sadly,
carjackings happen too often in Philadelphia.
I
reached out to Gary Capuano, a retired Philadelphia Police sergeant, and asked
him if he had any experiences with carjackings during his time as a cop, and if
he had any tips on how to avoid becoming a carjacking victim.
“I
had direct contact with an eighteen-year-old carjacker back in 2003,” Capuano
recalled. “I was working plainclothes and detailed to finding the criminal who
at the time was exposing his genitalia to the St. Maria Goretti High School
girls. My partner and I heard the carjacking radio call and we proceeded into
the area where it took place and actually stumbled upon the suspect and his new
set of wheels sitting at a red light.”
The
carjacker immediately made Capuano and his partner as police officers, and he
took off. The plainclothes officers pursued him, announcing the pursuit over
their police radio. Capuano and his partner apprehended the suspect on the
Expressway just past the Penrose Avenue exit. The carjacker smashed into the
divider wall, ran from the vehicle, and went up and over the wall into oncoming
traffic with Capuano in pursuit.
“He
couldn’t get over a chain link fence which was topped with razor wire that
allowed me to close the gap between us. I injured my knee and was out of work
for some time, eventually needing surgery. He pled guilty and served some
time,” Capuano said. “Six days after the carjacking, Goretti girls spotted the
flasher and gave chase. They caught him and held him until police
arrived.”
To
avoid being carjacked, Capuano said that drivers should be aware of their
surroundings at all times and keep an eye out for people who appear to be
hanging about with no clear purpose.
“Try
to park in a well-lit area. Take a friend or relative with you while driving
and always leave enough space between your car and the one in front of you,”
Capuano advised. “This gives you some wiggle room in case you have to maneuver
your way out of a bad situation. If you need to use an ATM, try to do so during
the day including gassing up your vehicle. After food shopping, don’t become
distracted and side-tracked and worried about loading your vehicle. Keep your
eyes open. These criminals know just when to strike. It only takes
seconds.”
Capuano
said that when leaving a casino stay vigilant, especially if you happen to be
going home a winner.
“Many
a person has been followed out of a casino and into the parking lots, where
they are robbed, assaulted and carjacked. There are also numerous incidents
where people are followed home and then assaulted, robbed and carjacked.”
Capuno
also suggests that if you happen to become a victim in a carjacking, don’t
fight back. Give them your car. You can replace your car, but your family can’t
replace you.
“If
you see someone who appears to be broken-down on a street, continue on and call
911,” Capuano said. “Don’t be a Good Samaritan. Your calling 911 to get
them help is sufficient. If your vehicle is struck and bumped from behind, call
911 immediately and give them any information you have on the striking vehicle.
Stay on the phone with the 911 operator and give them your location as you
drive on.”
Capuano
suggested that you drive to a well-lit spot or if you happen to know where the
nearest police station is located, drive there. These are some of the ruses
that some criminals use to get their next victim.
“It
is sad what our society has become. We can argue what has caused this, but in
my opinion, the breakdown of the family as well as criminals not being held
accountable for their actions are the main two reasons,” Capuno said. “We have
to think like a criminal and be on guard 24/7.”
Paul Davis, a Philadelphia writer and frequent contributor to Broad + Liberty, also contributes to Counterterrorism magazine and writes the On Crime column for the Washington Times. He can be reached via www.pauldavisoncrime.com.
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