I’m writing to urge you to put victims’ interest over offenders by assigning a more severe penalty to the crime of carjacking. The Minnesota legislature recognized the epidemic of carjacking in our cities by creating this new law because they understand that this devastating act has left countless Minnesotans traumatized. Now you need to do your job and assign a severe penalty to carjacking in order to send a message to criminals that the punishment for this traumatic crime includes prison time. Treating carjacking using the existing robbery standard is not enough of a deterrent to stop this behavior and the same criminals will spin through the revolving door of justice, free to repeat their crimes. Minnesota victims deserve better. Carjackers need a stronger sentence. Please take this into account at your meeting on July 27, 2023.

I urge you to put victims’ interest over offenders by assigning a more severe penalty to the crime of carjacking. The Minnesota legislature recognized the epidemic of carjacking in our cities by creating this new law because they understand that this devastating act has left countless Minnesotans traumatized. Now you need to do your job and assign a severe penalty to carjacking in order to send a message to criminals that the punishment for this traumatic crime includes prison time. Treating carjacking using the existing robbery standard is not enough of a deterrent to stop this behavior and the same criminals will spin through the revolving door of justice, free to repeat their crimes. Minnesota victims deserve better. Carjackers need a stronger sentence. Please take this into account at your meeting on July 27, 2023.