Carjacking on the rise in Indianapolis

INDIANAPOLIS, July 29 (UPI) -- Carjacking in Indianapolis is on the rise, and police have been unable to find a common link to tie the crimes together.

During the first six months of 2007, 152 carjackings were reported in the Indianapolis area -- a 145 percent increase from the 62 hijackings reported in the same period last year, The Indianapolis Star reported.

Police said they are serious about a heavy crackdown on carjacking. In April, police assigned undercover units to investigate the crime and carjacking briefly leveled off, the Star reported.

Police are warning that carjackers typically target single drivers. Police have identified several "hot spots" in the city where multiple carjackings have occurred, the newspaper said.