Package theft surges in the US, implicates Amazon, Target and other retailers

The theft of express packages from Amazon and UPS is increasingly causing concern to US authorities. More and more express packages are being stolen during transportation, which has caused a lot of trouble for the relevant departments. It is reported that since 2021, railway package thefts in the United States have caused nearly $5 million in losses.

Recently, a video of a courier package being stolen on a Los Angeles train went viral online, with more than 2 million hits.

The video was shot by CBS photographer John Schreiber, who said: "I learned that there are frequent train thefts in Los Angeles, so I went to the Lincoln Heights area to take a look." Schreiber explained that of the containers he saw on the tracks, about one-fifth had already been targeted by thieves, with their doors open and their locks cut off.

In the video shared by John Schreiber, it can be seen with the naked eye that discarded packages from Amazon, Target, UPS and FedEx are scattered around the railroad tracks, including some unused COVID-19 test reagents, toilet paper, and some unopened packages.

It is reported that Lincoln Heights is a densely populated area in central Los Angeles and a place where train tracks converge , where many trains unload goods. Here, thieves wait for the long freight trains to slow down, then climb onto the freight containers and use bolt cutters to pry open the locks of the containers to steal.

When thieves ransack these packages, they take away valuable items that were originally destined for shipment across the country, leaving behind items that are non-essential or difficult to resell, such as medical kits and toiletries.

The thefts have raised questions about the safety of Amazon and other express parcels ordered through various portals, as such thefts have been going on for some time. Union Pacific said it has stepped up surveillance measures, including drones and other detection systems, and recruited more security personnel for its tracks and fleet.

Los Angeles police and security personnel are also stepping up management. They are reported to have arrested more than 100 people in the last three months of 2021 for "illegal trespassing and vandalism" on Union Pacific Railway trains.

Amazon

express delivery

theft