COLUMBUS, Ohio — Chanel Jack is one of many victims to car theft at the hands of teens.
What You Need To Know
- Franklin County Sheriffs Office said that there have been 42% more juvenile crime reports than at same time in 2021
- FCSO said crimes have frequently involved groups of 2-3 teens
- Chanel Jack, an influencer who has worked with various youth organizations in Central Ohio, said her car was stolen by teens
- Mechanics say the thefts are due to manufacturing issues
Over the summer, Whitehall Police Department officers reported several juveniles in a stolen blue Hyundai ramming into police cruisers while trying to escape. Police said the driver of the car was 16 and three passengers were aged 15, 13 and 12.
In a statement, Whitehall police said scenes like that have become all too common in Franklin County.
The same worry is coming from Jack, a youth outreach volunteer who said she too was the victim of a young car thief.
Jack built a following by empowering youth to be kind and supportive to one another. She works with youth all over central Ohio, partnering with organizations like the Columbus Urban League, My Brother's Keeper and more.
Over the summer, she was invited to speak at a youth summit for teens who want to be influencers.
“I really wanted to teach them good morals and values so they could decide who they are, what they want to stand for and start using their voice in their own friendship circles first before going viral,” said Jack.
While she was inside trying to instill good, three teens were outside stealing her brand new Nissan. It was stolen in a matter of three minutes.
She isn’t the only one. The Franklin County Sheriff's Office said there are 42% more crime reports that involve a juvenile than at this time last year. In Jack's case, the Sheriff's office said that they are seeing crimes committed in groups, with 2-3 teens involved.
Jack said this is why she’s encouraging teens to speak up to their peers.
“Even though you’re not their parents, influence them to do better, to do right, so I really wanted to teach that this summer," said Jack. "And without a car I still showed up for those teens, because they need me more than ever right now."
Jack has had to rely on friends, family, Uber and Lyft to get where she needs to go. She said between her car expenses and paying for transportation, the situation has been a financial burden. But while things may be difficult right now, she said her community showing up for her pushes her to do the same for those who need it most.
“It still takes a village to raise these teens and it still takes a village to help me get to the places I need to go, so community is so important and this whole situation just highlights that,” said Jack.
Major Steve Tucker with the FCSO said that this rise in crime can be attributed to various factors, but the pandemic has been a big one.
“We saw a shift in kids' lives often times that left them unsupervised. It created a whole new dynamic in terms of who their friends were, where they were hanging out, what kind of activities they were getting involved in and I think that was a big, big component that contributed to the crime that we’re seeing today,” said Tucker.
Mechanics said the increase in thefts is a manufacturer issue.
“The (anti-)theft system is really not there, and it really isn’t helping keep people from taking these vehicles," said John Ulery, who works in product development at Excite Auto Repair and Towing. "Most push-button starts have a chip that’s in your key fob that if the key fob is not around, then it won’t allow the ignition to start. The thing is that if you don’t have that and the key fob, then what happens is you’re able to turn the cylinder and start the vehicle.”
Ulery said owners can invest in an immobilizer for their car or an alarm system.