Cargo Crime Increases in Third Quarter

JERSEY CITY, NJ. — This year’s third quarter showed a nine percent spike in cargo theft, totaling 246 incidents, compared to 225 in 2011.

That’s a 21-percent jump overall for the first nine months of the year.

According to CargoNet, food, base metals, electronics, apparel, plastic and rubber products represented 69 percent of all commodity types reported stolen in Q3 of 2012, versus 63 percent during the second quarter.

Like last year, prepared food and beverage products were the most stolen commodities in Q3. While base metals, and electronics tied for second with 15 percent each.

Apparel and accessories came in at 31 percent, plastics and rubber products at 54 percent, base metals at 80 percent and furniture at a whopping 175 percent.

The report concludes that the top 10 states with the highest number of reported cargo thefts made up 85 percent of the total reported incidents – topped by California, Texas, Florida, and Georgia.

The trend in cargo theft by-location-type in Q3 significantly differs from what was reported at the same time last year.

According to CargoNet, there was an increase of 85 percent in possible theft location types, compared to 61 percent in 2011.

However, the increase in location types, CargoNet said, is because the quality of the information being submitted in incident reports has improved.

This year, the top three cargo theft location types in Q3 were warehouses, distribution centres, parking lots and truck stops, representing a total of 57 percent.

While there was a slight decrease in reported thefts in the summer months and start of Q3 (CargoNet says this is a result of a slowdown in shipping), the agency expects to see an increase in reported incidents in the fourth quarter due to the annual holiday shipping increase.

The CTA (Canadian Trucking Alliance) joined forces with CargoNet to take a bite out of cargo crime. 


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