Question: What do a riding lawn mower, a backhoe, and an excavator all have in common?
Answer: In 2010, they were amongst some of the most stolen pieces of heavy equipment in the industry.
Construction Equipment Theft: Who, How, & Why
The numbers regarding the amount of heavy equipment stolen over the course of a year are compiled from a variety of sources. Those include the National Equipment Register (NER), National Crime Information Center (NCIC), and the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB).
During year 2010, 13,374 reports were made concerning heavy equipment theft. The information compiled in the reports was then used to conduct an extensive analysis. Based on the findings, officials were able to discuss and employ proactive measures in theft prevention. For example, by analyzing the data, NCIC was able to determine the top states in which the theft of heavy equipment was most prominent, therefore allowing them to put the appropriate procedures in place to deter such high rates. Some of those measures included regulation adjustments, as well as the installation of GPS tracking systems.
Statistics regarding heavy equipment theft in 2011 show a decrease by almost 2,000 reports. Further, the amount of items recovered after being stolen rose from 19% in 2010 to 21% in 2011. Specifics on the types and frequency of items taken in 2011 were not readily available. However, construction equipment theft remains an industry problem that rental suppliers, construction companies, and contractors must deal with.
Curious Minds Want to Know
The most stolen piece of equipment in 2010 was the riding lawn mower, at just under 50% of total reports made. In descending order, the top ten list included the tractor, skid steer, backhoe, forklift, excavator, generator, wheel loader, dozer, and the trencher.
As for the states experiencing the highest volume of heavy equipment theft 2010, Texas, Florida, and North Carolina ranked as the top three. During the year 2011, those three remained at the top of the list.
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