NCJ Number
159309
Date Published
1995
Length
45 pages
Annotation
A 1994 study revealed that 3,047 trucks were stolen in England, Scotland, and Wales; England accounted for most of these thefts.
Abstract
The data were collected by means of an analysis of the Police National Computer database and a mail survey of 1,350 victims, of whom 700 responded. Results also revealed that most of the stolen vehicles have never been recovered. The majority of the thefts tended to be focused on a small group of vehicle types and on trucks produced by a few manufacturers. Victims incurred considerable costs. Costs in insured value, which was usually much lower than the replacement value, were more than 30 million pounds. This figure does not include expenses such as replacement costs, increased insurance, and loss of business. The majority of victims were small businesses with 10 or fewer employees. Companies with just one truck accounted for almost one-third of the thefts. The construction industry accounted for 31 percent of the thefts. More than three-fourths of the stolen vehicles had steering column locks. Almost one-third had been parked in a location with no security. More than 80 percent of the victims took additional security measures following the theft. Tables, figures, photographs, and appended additional results