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A non-profit has launched a campaign aimed at addressing the region’s mounting cargo theft problem.
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Crime Stoppers of Halton’s awareness campaign comes as cargo theft incidents in the regional municipality climb, costing businesses hundreds of thousands of dollars.
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The non-profit is distributing flyers to as many members of the trucking community as possible. The flyers encourage truckers to remain vigilant and to report anything related to theft to the anonymous Crime Stoppers tip line.
Inside Halton reported that both Economical Insurance and the Insurance Bureau of Canada have joined the non-profit in funding the campaign.
“Make no mistake this is a serious crime,” said Doug Maybee of Economical Insurance, who serves as the board director of the Crime Stoppers of Halton.
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“To date in 2017 there have been 1,336 reported cargo thefts in Canada. Ninety per cent (90%) of those occurred here in the GTA … this is a big deal. I’m not sure if you have ever seen someone steal a vehicle, but they are not concerned about public safety when they do. They will crash through a gate with an 80-foot long truck to get it where it needs to be so the gear can be unloaded at a warehouse and then moved elsewhere.”
According to Halton police Det. Sgt. Dave Costantini, there were 68 instances of cargo theft in Halton last year, with most of the incidents reported in the Milton area.
Costantini also told Inside Halton that for 2017 so far, the value of merchandise stolen in Halton cargo theft incidents is around $500,000.
“Cargo crime has become a major challenge for police agencies across the GTA. The transportation hub of southern Ontario remains a prime target for organized cargo theft,” Halton police Deputy Chief Carol Crowe said during a recent media event.
“The repercussions of these occurrences are not only felt by the transportation industry, but also the insurance industry and of course the consumer. Cargo crime is a $5 billion a year problem in Canada.”
Crowe warned that the profits from cargo theft help fund other kinds of crime, such as drug trafficking.
