While thefts from Union Pacific intermodal trains in Los Angeles made national headlines early this year, overall cargo thefts last year decreased by 15% from 2020 levels, Insurance Journal reports, citing CargoNet’s annual Supply Chain Risk Trends report.
The company, which provides cargo theft solutions, reported 1,285 cargo thefts in the United States and Canada, leading to losses of $57.9 million, down from 1,517 thefts and $66 million in losses in 2020.
Break-ins to containers on stopped UP trains were a widely reported issue, drawing national attention and action from California’s governor [see “California governor visits site of train thefts …,” Trains News Wire, Jan. 21, 2022]. But CargoNet’s director of operations, Keith Lewis, said it is not possible to determine how much UP thefts contributed to the overall numbers, since railroads have their own police departments and do not always report thefts to law enforcement agencies.
California did have by far the highest number of thefts: 276, compared to 244 in 2020. The next highest figures were for Texas and Florida, with 12 each.
I’m sure CargoNet’s information doesn’t even made a dent in the actual number of thefts. The r-o-w pictures showing all the debris in LA from thefts didn’t get there from the few thefts that they have reported. Thefts don’t get reported to local police as they don’t really care about the problem as the railroad have their own police departments. Insurance records are far from accurate as to the number of thefts that have occurred. Railroad rates used to have a provision that an insurance claim can’t even be filed unless the loss tops a certain dollar amount. A theft occurred even if the dollar amount wasn’t met for a claim. A crime was committed upon the breaking into the railcar/container whether a theft occurred or not.
I’m Japanese and not familiar with the railroads around Los Angeles, why are there so many thefts on Union Pacific? Are there any thefts on BNSF railway?