January 2006 - Construction equipment thefts in the Gulf States
and surrounding areas rose dramatically after Hurricane Katrina and were
further fuelled by Hurricanes Rita and Wilma. This is the finding in an
NER report released in January 2006. The number of thefts reported to
NER from the time Katrina hit to the end of December was up 22% from the same
period in 2004.
The report also
explores trends related to the theft of rental equipment, fraud and the
resale of flood damaged equipment. Advice is given as to how best to
reduce the risk of theft and increase the chances of recovering stolen
equipment.
The full report is
immediately available to law enforcement, NER member insurers, the media
and equipment owners and will be posted on the NER website later in the
year.
The full report is
immediately available to law enforcement, NER member insurers, the media and
equipment owners and will be posted on the NER website later in the year.
Excerpts from this report
have already appeared in USA Today, Business Insurance and Equipment
World.
