Chicago Lawmaker Seeks Ban On 'GTA' Games Citing Spike In Carjacking Cases

Citing the recent spike in the number of carjacking cases in Chicago, a US lawmaker has drafted a bill seeking the ban of video games such as the ones from the "Grand Theft Auto" and others that share similar gameplay.

U.S. Rep. Marcus C. Evans Jr. firmly believes that video games such as the ones from the “Grand Theft Auto” franchise are to blame for the alarming rise in carjacking incidents. The suspects involved in such incidents are sometimes below the age of 16. The bill argues that games encourage unwanted criminal activities.

The state representative hopes to make amendments to a 2021 law that prevents minors from purchasing certain video games with contents, which are deemed inappropriate by regulators, reported the Chicago Sun-Times.

The draft bill -- HB3531 -- filed by Evans last week, if approved, will ban the sale of any video games that depict “motor vehicle theft with a driver or passenger present” and “psychological harm.” All installments of “Grand Theft Auto” and others like it feature this prominently.

Reports also noted that prior to this, he was in communication with prominent local figure Early Walker, who is one of the founding members of the Operation Safe Pump initiative to combat the rising cases of carjackings at shopping centers and gas stations.

Walker had sought the help of Kates Detective and Security Agency and Chicago politician Alderman Stephanie Coleman to come up with a solution to tackle the carjacking menace. It involved security guards being posted in areas with widespread cases of carjackings.

However, that didn't seem to deter the offenders. On Dec. 25, 2021, a resident was carjacked in broad daylight, reported the Chicago Tribune. Coleman said, “because people are afraid to get gas no matter what time of day of being carjacked.” 

Walker has also called on several state legislators to step in. This was apparently after he noticed that the gameplay mechanics in “GTA” and several others share similarities with what is actually happening in Chicago. In January alone, around 218 carjackings were reported to local law enforcement. The "Grand Theft Auto" series is published by Rockstar Games.