1st Edition

Cargo Crime Security and Theft Prevention

By John J. Coughlin Copyright 2013
    266 Pages 24 B/W Illustrations
    by CRC Press

    Cargo crime—including theft, fraud, and the passage of contraband through commercial shipping lanes—poses an enormous threat to security and the economy. By understanding the current methods and operations of those who attack the supply chain, industry professionals can design effective security plans and law enforcement can properly investigate these crimes. Cargo Crime: Security and Theft Prevention is drawn from the author’s personal experiences as a law enforcement detective and supervisor and as a regional security manager for a large multimode transportation and logistics company. The book reviews emerging trends, identifies criminal tactics, discusses law enforcement response to cargo theft, and presents best practices to help businesses avoid victimization by cargo thieves.

    Topics include:

    • The various modes of freight transportation and the differences in cargo crime activity in each mode
    • Methods of operation used by organized crime syndicates and narcotic smugglers
    • The effective use of public and private information-sharing partnerships to thwart criminal activities
    • Known profiles consistent in over 90 percent of contraband shipments

    Cargo crime is a critical concern of freight transportation operators, manufacturers, shippers, insurers, law enforcement, and consumers. This book arms professionals charged with protecting the supply chain with essential information that can help them investigate and uncover criminal activity and develop a first class cargo security program.

    OVERVIEW OF CARGO CRIME
    Cargo Crime: Definition and Trends
    Background and Perspective
    Definition of Cargo Theft
    Current Data and Data Collection Efforts
    Analysis of SC-ISAC Data for 2009–2011
    Cargo Theft Activity by State
    Where Thefts Occur
    When Thefts Occur
    What’s Stolen
    Modes of Freight Transportation
    Freight Modalities
    Cargo Crime by Modality
    Perpetrators of Cargo Crime
    Organized Cargo Criminals
    Full Truckload
    Fictitious or Fraudulent Pick-Ups
    High-Value Warehouse Burglaries
    Opportunistic Cargo Theft
    Internal Theft Rings: Consolidation
    Commercial Vehicle Smuggling
    Truck-Stop Crime
    Fencing: Where Stolen Cargo Goes
    INDUSTRY AND LAW ENFORCEMENT RESPONSES
    Industry Responses
    The Vision
    Industry Security Councils
    Southwest Transportation Security Council
    Eastern Region Cargo Theft Association
    Western States Cargo Theft Association
    Mid-South Cargo Security Council
    Southeast Transportation Security Council
    Mid-West Cargo Security Council
    Virginia–Carolinas Cargo Security Council
    Pharmaceutical Cargo Security Coalition
    National Transportation Security Organizations
    National Insurance Crime Bureau
    ASIS Supply Chain and Transportation Security Council
    Transported Asset Protection Association (TAPA)
    Information Sharing
    Archiving and Analysis
    Law Enforcement Responses
    Cargo Theft Law Enforcement Responses
    Law Enforcement Education
    SWTSC Law Enforcement Training
    Handling Contraband
    Prevention and Awareness
    Prevention: The Best Policy
    First Annual Texas Cargo Summit
    Personnel Security
    Facility Physical Security
    Business Partner Requirements
    Procedural Security
    In-Transit Security
    Information Technology Security
    Brokerage and Freight Boards
    Security Training and Threat Awareness
    Legal Best Practices
    Current Technologies for Prevention and Recovery
    Cargo Insurance
    Moving Forward
    Essential Decisions for Industry
    Lobbying for Cargo Theft Task Forces and Cargo Crime Programs
    Bordernet
    Procedures and Resources to Develop Bordernet
    Lobby for formation of Cargo Theft Task Forces
    USING BEST PRACTICES
    Epilogue
    Learning from Reality
    BIBLIOGRAPHY
    APPENDIX A: SOUTHWEST TRANSPORTATION SECURITY
    COUNCIL FREIGHT TERM GLOSSARY
    INDEX

    Biography

    John Joseph (J.J.) Coughlin is currently vice president of law enforcement services for LoJack Supply Chain Integrity (SCI). He is responsible for developing, implementing, and overseeing security processes, procedures, and investigations for SCI members. J.J. also works closely with law enforcement officers in deployment of LoJack In-Transit Service to support covert surveillance, dispatch, and recovery operations and investigations. He serves as the director of the Supply Chain Information Sharing and Analysis Center and supervises the collection, analysis, and dissemination of cargo theft and crime data. He is the chairman of the Southwest Transportation Security Council, which he founded to facilitate the sharing of information and networking with law enforcement and private industry. He has been a driving force behind the expansion of regional security councils and promoting information sharing by regional councils, law enforcement, and private industry.

    " … a concise, practical, and much-needed guide for transportation and logistics security professionals, written by the foremost authority on the subject in the country. … he shares all the insights he’s gained in his long and illustrious career, and manages to do so in a manner that is both efficient and informative. … he not only defines the who/what/where of cargo theft and backs his claims with supporting statistics, but he also allows the reader insight into his methodology. … A worthy read on a topic where there’s too little information currently available."
    —Jack DeMao, CEO and President of Electric Guard Dog LLC, in Global Logistics Media

    " … full of insights for anyone concerned with cargo protection."
    —Security Letter