Carjackings in AC & vicinity

[Tico]

Carjacking alert! Luck favors the prepared. So be prepared. I have noticed more and more carjacking news in Atlantic City & vicinity:

1	"Carjacking in Atlantic City fails because robbers didn't know how to drive stick shift, police say 
Tuesday, July 20, 2010 7:15 am"

2	"Atlantic City police charge 15-year-old boy in June carjacking and sexual assault 
Sunday, July 18, 2010 12:00 am"

3	"woman fends off alleged carjacker 
Wednesday, July 15, 2009 3:05 am"

4	"Atlantic City carjack (Taj's patron was carjacked and murdered), kidnapping suspects no strangers to trouble 
Sunday, May 30, 2010 12:00 am"

5	"Mullica Township man gets 26½ years in attempted carjacking 
Friday, January 15, 2010 12:05 pm"

6	"Convicted sex offender could spend the rest of his life in prison after carjack conviction 
Friday, January 15, 2010 11:55 am"

7	"N.J. court upholds carjack killer’s convictions 
Friday, January 8, 2010 12:40 pm"

8	"Mullica man pleads guilty in carjacking 
Thursday, November 12, 2009 5:30 pm"
	
9	" New Jersey man gets 22 years for carjackings
Saturday, September 26, 2009 1:35 pm"

10	"Grocery worker on break thwarts alleged carjacking 
Monday, August 31, 2009 3:20 pm"

11	"man attempted two carjackings in 10-minute span 
Sunday, August 30, 2009 9:20 pm"

The carjacking in the above news-story#4 scares APs the most. How will you (as an AP) protect yourself against carjacking (in addition to the pointers listed below)?

http://www.self-defense-mind-body-spirit.com has some good pointers:

1) You can become a victim of a carjacking nearly anywhere.
Carjackers, however, are more likely to attack a motorist at
common stopping points such as stop signs, traffic lights,
parking lots, gas stations, rest areas, restaurants, and fast food
drive-thrus. Most carjackings take place on weekends between
7 and 12 pm.
2) One of the best defenses against a carjacking is to keep your
windows up and doors locked. After getting into your car, lock
the doors immediately. Should someone attempt to order you
out of your vehicle, put it in gear and drive away as fast as
possible.
3) Should someone attempt to carjack your vehicle while you
are getting in or out of it, throw your keys in one direction and
run in the other direction. Just like money or valuables, if they
come after you instead of the car, then you will know it was
you they were really after to start with and you need to do
whatever it takes to not be taken hostage.
4) Should someone attempt to get into your car while you are in
it and you cannot speed away, throw your keys out of the car,
or in the back seat and climb out the opposite side they are
trying to get in. Then, run like lighting while screaming at the
top of your lungs.
5) When leaving any area, make sure you are not being
followed. Car bump lures and home invasions are one of the
fastest growing crimes in this country and most involve being
followed home from a shopping center after being targeted for
your valuables or looks.

 

[Automatic Monkey]

Good ideas. Never cooperate with a carjacker when you are in the car, even if they point a gun at you. They don't want a shot-up car nor do they want to face the consequences of shooting the gun. If you drive away they will retreat and go after someone else.

Another possibility- if you are a strong guy and the idiot puts his arm into your car, you can definitely break his arm or worse. Grab his arm and hit the gas.

 

[blackjack avenger]

It's Only a Car

Make sure your car insurance covers carjacking. Once someone pulls a gun on you they should now own your car. If they try to kidnap you, that's different. I heard a security expert on TV recommend that you just run and do not allow yourself to be taken away. :joker::whip:

 

[Zero]

Once someone pulls a gun on you they should now own your car.

Sorry, can't agree with you on that one. My concealed handgun license is valid in WV, PA, and DE. But that doesn't mean I leave my guns at home when I go to NJ or CT. Every year I take at least 2 firearms training classes and spend over a hundred hours at the range. That's in addition to my yearly qualification requirements. If someone pulls a gun on me, I take that personally. And I personally have the means and the ability to bring their criminal career to an abrupt halt. My truck or my wallet or whatever the reason they pulled the gun on me in the first place has nothing to do with it. The way I see it, once a criminal has escalated to armed robbery, it's just a matter of time until they hurt or kill someone, if they haven't already done so. If I can do something to keep that from happening, or happening again, it's my responsibility to do it.

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[Machinist]

Bravo!!!!!!!

Sorry, can't agree with you on that one. My concealed handgun license is valid in WV, PA, and DE. But that doesn't mean I leave my guns at home when I go to NJ or CT. Every year I take at least 2 firearms training classes and spend over a hundred hours at the range. That's in addition to my yearly qualification requirements. If someone pulls a gun on me, I take that personally. And I personally have the means and the ability to bring their criminal career to an abrupt halt. My truck or my wallet or whatever the reason they pulled the gun on me in the first place has nothing to do with it. The way I see it, once a criminal has escalated to armed robbery, it's just a matter of time until they hurt or kill someone, if they haven't already done so. If I can do something to keep that from happening, or happening again, it's my responsibility to do it.

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I LIKE!!!
Wow a hundred hours a year... I wanta be on your team!!! Or in your car!!


Machinist

 

[shadroch]

Using an unlicensed gun in NJ to avoid losing your car will result in you losing much more than just your car. Your insurance will replace your car, it won't replace the several years in prison, nor will it cover the inevitible civil suit.

 

[Machinist]

yep

Using an unlicensed gun in NJ to avoid losing your car will result in you losing much more than just your car. Your insurance will replace your car, it won't replace the several years in prison, nor will it cover the inevitible civil suit.

Yep and we are working on that as we type Shad....
The 5/4 decision last month was nice......... But still an insult to this country...4 a##holes still dont get the 2nd amendment.
And Daley in Chicago is beside himself.....His guncontrol was working so well!!!! Look no gun crime in chicago !
Gotta quit before i get going on this subject....
Now ya got me feeling like hunting a groundhog again for dinner
Weapon of choice a Browning Belgium made semi-auto LR .22....sweeeeet!!!

Machinist

 

[blackjack avenger]

Resistence is Futile?

Probably most carjacking's that end in the victims death are when they resisted? Probably on initial contact the robber has a huge advantage over you because he has the gun pointed at you. So would you start a gunfight when at a disadvantage over an insured car? Now, you could wait until they enter the vehicle and then you draw; then you have the advantage because they are seated in your vehicle while you are potentially behind and over their shoulder, but do you want to start a gunfight even if you have this big advantage? If you shoot someone in the back you! may be prosecuted.:joker::whip: Most likely so if you are in a gun free zone, state or casino?:joker::whip:

Not to mention the mess in your car!:joker::whip:

Different situations may require you to have that showdown if needed:joker::whip: The taking of the car with your kids in the back being a quick example.

 

[moo321]

I like the idea of grabbing their arm and driving away.

Seriously, though, just be aware of your surroundings, particularly if someone is following you.

And if you can't carry a gun, flashlights are very good. You can blind someone, and/or beat their ass with the flashlight. They're also much better defensive weapons than knives.

 

[johndoe]

I like the idea of grabbing their arm and driving away.

Seriously, though, just be aware of your surroundings, particularly if someone is following you.

And if you can't carry a gun, flashlights are very good. You can blind someone, and/or beat their ass with the flashlight. They're also much better defensive weapons than knives.

+1 for flashlights. Some of the tactical flashlights are extremely bright, and will easily blind someone long enough to get away.

They're also handy against aggressive vagrants and other annoyances, with no legal repercussion from use. They're also legal everywhere, and perfectly fine to carry on a plane.

 

[Automatic Monkey]

I like the idea of grabbing their arm and driving away.

Seriously, though, just be aware of your surroundings, particularly if someone is following you.

And if you can't carry a gun, flashlights are very good. You can blind someone, and/or beat their ass with the flashlight. They're also much better defensive weapons than knives.

A flashlight is also a useful weapon in conjunction with a gun. Hold the light at arms length to your side and shine it in the subject's face. If he has a gun, all he will see is the light and will probably fire at it, and of course it is nowhere near your body. But you can see him just fine, for your shot. It also works really well in court if he fired first.

Really though, a carjacker is looking for a car, and/or someone to kidnap. You do not want to be a kidnap victim, so you can rule out surrendering if that is his intent. And if he wants your car, he knows that if he shoots holes in it and has to remove your body, he's probably not going to get very far after that so it's unlikely he's going to be willing to stand in the middle of the street and shoot. And if your car is moving he's probably not going to be able to hit you anyway- criminals are even worse shots than cops. If it's me in the car, I'm going to take my chances with the gas pedal, and if I have an opportunity to run him over, I could go either New Testament or Old Testament.