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www.insidehalton.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Friday, November 10, 2017 | 4 Ontario, GTA second only to California for cargo theft by David Lea Oakville Beaver Staff With Ontario currently second only to California as the worst place for cargo theft in North America, Crime Stoppers of Halton has launched an awareness campaign about the crime that is on the rise, here and across Canada. Criminals are targeting trucking businesses whereby they break in, locate a cargo worth stealing and then make off with an entire transport truck loaded with goods. Halton police Det. Sgt. Dave Costantini noted that in 2016 there were 68 instances of cargo theft across the region, mostly in the north end of Halton, primarily Milton. So far in 2017, Costantini said, the value of merchandise stolen in Halton cargo theft incidents sits at approximately $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," said Halton Police Deputy Chief Carol Crowe during a media event at police headquarters this week. "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 noted the profits from cargo theft fuel other kinds of crime such as drug trafficking. She also said the crime requires significant Det. Const. Jodi Richmond, CNTL Owner/Operator Mandeep Bal, and Deputy Chief Carol Crowe launch a new initiative to help combat cargo theft in the trucking industry during a Crime Stoppers of Halton news conference. | Nikki Wesley/Metroland police resources to investigate and solve. While some might think a stolen tractor trailer loaded with goods would be easy to find, police point out that in many cases the truck is long gone before the crime is even reported. "They might get stolen on a Friday on a long weekend and then when the owner comes in on Tuesday and sees their stuff is gone they give us a call," said Halton Det. Tom Hockney. "By that point, the goods in the truck have all been sold off and they will just leave the truck somewhere and walk away from it." Cargo thieves target products that are easy to sell with Hockney noting he has investigated everything from stolen cargo loads of dog food, alcohol and TVs, to household appliances and detergent. The property is sold on the black market or, in some cases, to unsuspecting small businesses. Police note Ontario is currently second only to California as the worst place for cargo theft in North America. In a bid to fight back, Crime Stoppers of Halton is distributing flyers to as many members of the trucking industry as possible. The flyers ask truckers to help combat cargo theft by being vigilant and reporting anything they know to the anonymous Crime Stoppers tip line. Economical Insurance and the Insurance Bureau of Canada have joined Crime Stoppers in funding the campaign. "Make no mistake this is serious crime," said Doug Maybee of Economical Insurance and Crime Stoppers of Halton Board Director. "To date in 2017 there have been 1,336 reported cargo thefts in Canada. Ninety per cent 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." Police also noted that while in most cases thieves will target trucks left unattended overnight in depots, there have been a small number of incidents in North America where trucks have been hijacked and the drivers seriously injured or killed for more valuable cargo including cigarettes, alcohol or pharmaceuticals. "If you see something, if you hear something, then please say something," said Maybee. Anyone with information about cargo theft or any other crime in Halton is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). BhanDari family Dentistry Since 1984 Bring in your family for a CheCk-uP at our new moDern CliniC Dr. Vineet Bhandari provides top quality dental care in a friendly, caring environment with his team of dental professionals. He uses modern painless laser dentistry for cosmetic and preventive dental treatments and helps his patients to achieve optimum dental health. It is our goal to help create and maintain a beautiful smile. 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