The National Insurance Crime Bureau's (NICB) report on heavy equipment thefts in 2013 showed a total of 11,486 heavy equipment thefts were reported to law enforcement — an increase of 5 percent from the 10,925 reported in 2012. The report, co-produced with the National Equipment Register (NER), examines heavy equipment theft data submitted by law enforcement to the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and profiles that data according to theft state, theft city, theft month, equipment manufacturer, equipment style (type) and year of manufacture. The report also examines heavy equipment recoveries in 2013 based on those same criteria.
The three most stolen heavy equipment items in 2013 were:
- Mowers (riding or garden tractor: 5,186)
- Loaders (skid steer, wheeled: 1,920)
- Tractors (wheeled or tracked: 1,362)
States with the most thefts were:
- Texas (1,494)
- North Carolina (913)
- Florida (892)
- California (734)
- South Carolina (691)
The top five cities with the most thefts were:
- Houston, Texas (199)
- Oklahoma City, Okla. (111)
- San Antonio, Texas (82)
- Miami, Fla. (77)
- West Palm Beach, Fla. (72)
- Install hidden fuel shut-off systems.
- Remove fuses and circuit breakers when equipment is unattended.
- Render equipment immobile or difficult to move after hours or on weekends by clustering it in a “wagon circle.” Place more easily transported items, such as generators and compressors, in the middle of the circle surrounded by larger pieces of equipment.
- Maintain a photo archive and a specific list of the PIN and component part serial numbers of each piece of heavy equipment in a central location. Stamp or engrave equipment parts with identifying marks, numbers or corporate logos.
- Use hydro locks to fix articulated equipment in a curved position, preventing it from traveling in a straight line.
- Use sleeve locks to fix backhoe pads in an extended position, keeping wheels off the ground.
