California leads nation in cargo thefts

California led the nation in cargo thefts last year, with 247 of 747 thefts in the U.S. that were estimated at $171 million, according to a report released last week by the National Insurance Crime Bureau.

Texas was the next most-targeted state for cargo thefts, with 91 in 2010. There also were 66 in Florida, 56 in Illinois, 40 in Tennessee and 39 in Georgia, according to the Des Plaines, Ill.-based NICB’s ForeCAST Report.

Electronics were most often the target of cargo theft, with 139 incidents. There were 108 cases of theft involving food, and clothing was the target in 73 thefts, the report says.

Truck stops, parking lots, warehouses and port cities were places where cargo theft was most often committed, according to the report.