NCJ Number
86810
Date Published
1981
Length
0 pages
Annotation
This police training film teaches officers how to spot stolen construction equipment, how equipment thieves operate, what the 10 most wanted machines are, and how to use the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) to trace and recover stolen equipment.
Abstract
Construction equipment theft is a growing problem--in 1980, more than $1 billion was lost as a result of this crime. Track-type front end loaders, various dozers, wheel-mounted or track-mounted machines, hydraulic cranes, and pumps are often targeted for theft. Police should be suspicious of equipment being moved at odd hours (during weekends or evenings), drivers who avoid weighing stations, machines not tied down to a hauler, or equipment that looks out of place in an area. Officers can check the equipment's Product Identification Number or Vehicle Identification Number with the NCIC to determine whether it has been stolen. Distributors can help officers recognize different types of equipment; they publish guides to serial and identification numbers.