A U.S. lawmaker from Chicago's South Side, last week introduced a bill that calls for the ban of Grand Theft Auto and other violent video games in an effort to fight the city's recent upsurge in violent crimes, including carjackings.
According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Rep. Marcus Evans Jr. has called for an amendment to an existing law that bar the sale of games that depict "moto vehicle theft with a driver or passenger present."
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The lawmaker said that video games like Grand Theft Auto could have "psychological harm" on young minds, pointing out that some of the carjacking suspects in the city weren't even old enough to legally drive.
"The bill would prohibit the sale of some these games that promote the activities that we're suffering from in our communities," Evans said.
Last year, the Chicago Police Department recorded 1,417 carjackings which is more than double of those reported in 2019. However, January 2021 alone saw about 218 carjackings, and the incidents are expected to hit over 2,600 records if the pace stays this way.
Reports from the Chicago police said a 14-year-old boy was arrested for taking part in multiple carjacking, including one involving an off-duty police officer. While the youngest carjacker to be arrested in a recent attack was 12 years old.
Police say the perpetrators of these crimes often work in crews and motivated either by joyriding or using the stolen vehicle to commit other crimes.
The report said the idea of the legislation is to prevent those games from being sold to children in the state, pointing out that the game has been "banned or censored" in other countries.