Cargo theft declines across U.S., Canada in Q2 2017

A total of $17.2 million in cargo was reported stolen from the United States and Canada during the second quarter of 2017, down from $31.5 million for last year’s second quarter, according to supply chain security firm CargoNet.    A total of $17.2 million in cargo was reported stolen from the United States and Canada during the second quarter of 2017, down from $31.5 million for last year’s second quarter, according to supply chain security firm CargoNet.
   Food and beverage products were the most commonly stolen commodity during the second quarter of 2017, followed closely by thefts of household goods, largely consisting of major appliances.
   Warehouses were the most common location for cargo theft during the second quarter of 2017, but losses in the category tumbled 54 percent year-over-year. Unsecured truck yards were the second most common location for cargo theft during the quarter.
   California reported the most cargo theft events during the quarter, but reported incidents across the state declined 53 percent from the second quarter of 2016.
   A spokesperson for CargoNet told American Shipper that in the second quarter of 2016, California was the “fictitious cargo pickup capital of the country,” but that major arrests were made against the criminal syndicates responsible for the crime towards the end of 2016, and the state has had very few reports of fictitious pickups ever since.
   During last year’s second quarter, there were 19 fictitious pickups reported in the state, but none were reported during the second quarter of 2017.
   Meanwhile, Texas was the second most common state for reported cargo crime incidents during the second quarter of 2017, but reported incidents in the state fell 51 percent year-over-year, according to CargoNet.
   The spokesperson attributed Texas’ decline in reported incidents to a lack of roofing material thefts. In the second quarter of 2017, the Lone Star State had three reported thefts of building materials, down from 19 during last year’s second quarter.
   There had been an outbreak of roofing material thefts in the Dallas-Fort Worth area in the second quarter of 2016, as demand for roofing materials had skyrocketed due to an abnormal amount of damaging winds and hailstorms, and the black market responded to the need.
   Meanwhile, Georgia and Illinois also saw a drop in reported cargo theft incidents, while specific cargo theft hotspots like the cities of Ontario and Fontana, Calif. also experienced a decline in cargo theft.