Media tells people how to not get car jacked amid skyrocketing crime rates

A local news station recently ran a piece on carjackings in the Washington, DC, area, giving "advice" on how residents can deal with the out-of-control situation.

Carjackings have increased exponentially in many of large US metropolitan centers since the start of the pandemic, up more than 500 percent in some cases.

"Here in Greenbelt, [Maryland], we have seen a couple of violent carjackings in the past week or so," the narrator starts the segment.

"Greenbelt Police responded to Breezewood Court just the other day. Three men shot and wounded a man and carjacked another person in the middle of the night."

What follows are a series of "tips" in order to help prevent or handle the DC area's carjacking epidemic, similar to ones given by DC's own mayor back in March.

"In order to prevent a carjacking, well, here's what we should be doing. Police say, lock the doors when driving and when pumping gas. In fact, stay in your car if you can at the gas station," the reporter says, appearing to gloss over the fact that a large portion of gas stations in the US are self-service and customers have to pump their own gas. "Always look around before getting out of your vehicle, and if you are the victim of a carjacking, give up that car! Your life is just not worth it."

"Equip your vehicle with an anti-theft or GPS tracking device and allow yourself room in traffic to other cars. Avoid getting boxed in, if you will. And keep your cell phone in your pocket, rather than laying in your car," the reporter advises.

The video then cuts to National Crime Prevention Council executive director Paul DelPonte, who says: "For example, when you go to a mall or shopping center, park in a busy area. Don't park behind a large truck. Park where you can be seen."