Minnesota GOP Senate says carjacking should be considered a Crime

ST. PAUL, Minn. (KTTC) – Senate lawmakers are looking to establish carjacking as a crime. This push comes after law enforcement agencies in the Twin Cities reported more than 700 carjackings in 2021 alone.

Currently, carjacking is not listed as a criminal offense under Minnesota Law.

Instead, prosecutors will usually charge defendants with robbery or assault.

This proposal from the MN GOP Senate would clearly define carjacking in state statute and would add a mandatory minimum sentence of either two, four or six years depending on whether it’s simple or aggravated.

“I think it’s as a result of the shortage of police officers and little consequences for this dangerous offense,” said Sen. Paul Gazelka (R). “Stealing a car is so much more than simply taking a property of another person without permission. It’s much, much more than that. Carjacking is essentially stealing another weapon. It’s a large vehicle that can inflict damage

In Rochester, carjacking is not an issue according to a preliminary search of RPD records. There have not been any reported carjackings in Rochester in the last ten years.

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