What Happens When a Kid Jacks a Car?
There were about 1,430 carjackings in Chicago in 2020, more than double the previous year’s total. And more than half of the people arrested in those incidents were under 18. A new investigation by the Better Government Association finds that many of these teens, some as young as 13, are being put on electronic monitoring and sent home instead of receiving services that could help curtail future criminal activity. BGA reporters Sidnee King and David Jackson explain what’s driving the carjacking trend, why these kids end up stuck in limbo, and how these alternative programs could help.
Guests: Sidnee King, investigative reporter, Better Government Association
David Jackson, senior investigative reporter, Better Government Association (@poolcar4)
Love the show? Want something to change? Tell us about it. Take our listener survey and have a chance to win a $100 Visa gift card: https://chicago.citycast.fm/survey
Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicago
Sign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm
Subscribe To Our Newsletter
Stay connected to City Cast Chicago and get ready to join the local conversation.
Latest Episodes
Public Pools Open Next Week. Plus, Chicago’s New Women’s Sports Bar
Most of the city’s 77 public pools, 200 water features, and Chicago’s only inland beach are all opening next Friday. Plus, we’ve got more...
Red Line Weekend Detour and Ultimate Summer Guide
Red Line trains will be rerouted to elevated tracks for the third straight weekend due to maintenance work in the Loop subway. Executive...
Who's Running For Mayor? Plus, Bears Pick Hammond?!
Chicago’s mayoral election is nine months away. Last week, Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza became the first major candidate to make t...
Why Chicago Libraries Got It All. Plus, Are The Bears Still Ours?
Chicago is opening its 82nd public library branch in June, and loaning out books is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what the...
How the City Is Helping Chicagoans Buy Houses and Read More Books
Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Department of Housing are launching a new $21 million housing program to provide down payment and closing a...
City Buying Greyhound Station. Plus, Chicago’s Lesbian Business Directory
For almost two years, there have been questions about the future of Chicago’s downtown bus terminal. Flix, the parent company of Greyhoun...
What Happened in Springfield? Plus, Dreaming of Summer Break
What did lawmakers get done in Springfield? A $56 billion budget, a cellphone ban in schools, relief for those who lost SNAP benefits, an...
Your Guide to June 2026 in Chicago
June is officially summertime Chi in our world, so we’re going to help you make the most of it. Host Jacoby Cochran is joined by contribu...
School Board Hopefuls, Traffic Court Confusion, and Murakami Homers Again … And Again
This year, for the first time, Chicago will fully elect the 21-person school board. Candidates had to get their petitions in this week wi...
A Chicago Mayor and Pope Walk Into a Schlitz Bar…
Mayor Brandon Johnson is in Vatican City this week to meet Chicago’s very own Pope Leo XIV for the first time. The two are expected to di...