Web Site to Coordinate Fight Against Cargo Theft

There is a new Web site designed to combat cargo theft.

Co-chairs of the National Cargo Theft Task Force, Sheriff Ed Dean, Marion County, Fla., and Joe Wehrle, president and chief executive officer of the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), announced the launch of the National Cargo Theft Task Force’s new Web site.

The site is designed to be a central point of contact for law enforcement and the insurance and transportation industries as they deal with the problem of cargo theft in America. The Web site will also be accessible by the public to raise awareness about cargo theft and to warn of the dangers posed by the increasing amount of stolen goods appearing for sale on the black market.

An estimated $10-15 billion is stolen each year from America’s highways by organized thieves.

During a conference in November, 2006, representatives of local, state and federal law enforcement, insurance carriers, transportation companies and security experts from across the country developed a plan for addressing cargo theft. Known as the National Commercial Vehicle and Cargo Theft Prevention Strategy, it recommended developing national cargo theft task forces, intelligence databases and information sharing.

The National Strategy also recommended that Congress hold hearings concerning cargo theft and its impact on the economy as a basis for drafting comprehensive cargo theft legislation.

The National Cargo Theft Task Force is hosting a one-day summit in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 20 to discuss effective strategies and tactics which can be used to combat cargo theft.