Beef bandits strike in Southwest Philly
The latest cargo theft in the City of Brotherly Love saw thieves make off with 400 cases of beef.
According to Philadelphia police, the thieves broke into the back of a parked refrigerated tractor-trailer, stealing 12 pallets of meat before making their escape. The incident occurred around 5 a.m. Tuesday, July 16 on 63rd Street near Eastwick Avenue in the city’s Southwest side.
The driver was unaware of the crime in progress and told police he opened the trailer to discover the theft. No injuries were reported.
The theft is similar to a string of cargo theft incidents that have happened on the city’s Northeast side. However, officials have not said if there is any connection between those and the latest heist.
Chicago cargo thefts
Philadelphia is not alone when it comes to having to deal with cargo thieves. Police in Chicago are looking into a trio of incidents.
This past week, police issued an alert to businesses residing and parking semi-trucks in the Ninth District about a string of recent thefts. The three incidents occurred between 2 and 5 a.m. Thursday, July 11 in the 4300 block of South Packers Ave.
“In these incidents, unknown offenders arrive in multiple vehicles, gain entry to the rear of semi-truck trailers and remove contents,” police said in their alert.
Officials have offered the following tips for carriers to avoid becoming a victim:
- Be aware of surroundings
- Park vehicle in well-lit areas
- Report suspicious activity immediately
- Keep doors and windows secured
- Immediately repair any broken windows, doors or locks
- If video surveillance is available, save and make a copy of the incident for investigating detectives.
- If you are a victim, do not touch anything and call police immediately
- If approached by a witness to the incident, request contact information
Recent data shows that cargo theft activity, while still occurring at a higher rate than last year, has slowed from the record-setting pace of the first quarter of 2024.
According to CargoNet’s 2024 Second Quarter Supply Chain Risk Trends Analysis, there was a 10% decline in reported theft incidents when compared to the first three months of the year. Despite those encouraging numbers, the total number of incidents in the second quarter of 2024 was 33% higher compared to this past year. LL