Cargo thefts along the West Coast - home to the nation's largest ports - have jumped 42 percent since last year.
The correlation between the California ports' logjam and crime rise came was hardly a shock to crime and theft specialist Scott Cornell.
'The more that the supply chain in general is backed up, the more cargo you're going to have sitting and that creates a bigger opportunity for thefts,' crime and theft specialist at insurance company Travelers Scott Cornell, told CBS MoneyWatch.
More than $5million in consumer goods were stolen in California during the third-quarter of 2021, according to cargo theft recovery and prevention network CargoNet - another blow to the state's beleaguered ports.
The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, which move about 40 percent of shipped cargo entering the U.S., are struggling with an unprecedented backlog that’s slowing the nation’s overall supply chain ahead of the holidays.
There were 73 container ships at anchor Monday, and 29 container ships at berth.
The backlog is exacerbated by thousands of empty shipping containers sitting on the ports, creating a logistical nightmare for truckers trying to move product.
Meanwhile, ports in Los Angeles and Long Beach have fired a warning shot against shippers letting their empty containers linger on docks too long, saying they could soon charge up to $35,000 per month – per unit – for abandoned boxes.
More than $5 million in consumer goods was stolen in California during the third-quarter, according to cargo theft recovery and prevention network CargoNet
It's another blow for the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, which are struggling with an unprecedented backlog that’s slowing the nation’s overall supply chain ahead of the holidays
California was the state most targeted by freight thieves during the third-quarter, CargoNet said in its most recent supply chain analysis.
While theft and fraud cases throughout the U.S. and Canada declined overall year-over-year, a 42 percent uptick in thefts was observed on the West Coast.
California has been leading the nation in cargo thefts for the entire year, having reported 208 cases of freight looting through September 30.
‘This comes as no surprise, as California continues to struggle with frequent thefts of high-end computer electronics shipments,’ CargoNet said in a statement.
‘…Cargo thieves continued to show a strong preference for computer electronics shipments and nearly 70 percent of these thefts in the third quarter of 2021 occurred in California.’
Texas had the second-highest rate of cargo thieves this year with 162 cases reported during the year's first nine months. Florida recorded 117 cases
California led the nation in cargo thefts in a trend largely driven by demand for electronics
California reported 208 cargo thefts during the first nine months of 2021, handily outpacing other states such as Texas, Florida, and Illinois
Electronics accounted for 49 percent of California's stolen goods, and household items accounted for an additional 15 percent in lifted loot, CargoNet said in its third-quarter report.
Other popular items among criminals included clothes, accessories, food and drinks.
Thieves most frequently
