Three Texas cities top U.S. list of tailgate thefts: NICB

The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) released Wednesday a report on tailgate thefts in the United States, noting three cities in Texas had the greatest number of thefts.

NICB’s report was based on claims data submitted by insurance companies between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2013.

“The top three cities for tailgate thefts were: Houston (145), San Antonio (125), and Dallas (91),” stated NICB, a Des Plaines, Ill.-based organization that aims to prevent and detect insurance fraud and vehicle theft through data analytics, investigations, training, legislative advocacy and public awareness.

“The top three states for tailgate thefts during this period were: Texas (752), California (334) and Arizona (207).”

NICB noted that many stolen tailgates are installed on other vehicles, while others are sold for scrap. Thefts have occurred at auto dealer lots and shopping malls.

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“Since a tailgate theft takes just seconds to accomplish, consumers might consider using an after-market security device, such as a hinge lock to thwart criminals.”