Cargo thefts, values fall year-over-year in third quarter

Cargo thefts were down 9 percent year-over-year in 2016’s third quarter, but California saw a 40 percent increase in cargo thefts from 2015’s third quarter.

Cargo theft reporting firm CargoNet received 447 reports of  cargo theft in the third quarter of 2016.

The 447 total reports – which included 309 incidents of vehicle theft, 201 incidents of theft of cargo and 25 incidents of fraud – represent a 2 percent increase over the third quarter in 2015. Additionally, CargoNet says 202 tractors and 192 trailers were stolen during the quarter.

The 201 cargo thefts are a 9 percent decrease from 2015’s third quarter, CargoNet reports. These thefts decreased in most states, according to the firm, but California saw a 40 percent increase in year-over-year cargo thefts with 59 reported thefts. CargoNet says its data shows a 13 percent decrease in thefts in Los Angeles County, but an enormous 229 percent year-over-year increase in San Bernardino County. Behind California, Texas was the state with the most thefts with 28 cargo thefts.

CargoNet: Cargo theft incidents down 15 percent year-over-year

According to CargoNet, 61 percent of reported thefts had a loss value recorded, and the average incident was valued at $330,339 – up $63,243 from ...

In total, CargoNet saw $23.7 million in cargo stolen during 2016’s third quarter, which is down $8.2 million from the same period last year. Of the 201 cargo theft incidents, six had values higher than $1 million.

Electronics were the costliest of stolen items, representing $7.8 million worth of the total losses in the quarter. Theft of household items, at $4.6 million, was the second highest for the quarter. Despite the high values of these commodities, food and beverage items were the most-stolen in the quarter, CargoNet reports.

The firm says warehouse locations were the most common for thefts, but theft at secured yards increased by 100 percent year-over-year.