Producers can do a simple procedure to help law enforcement if they ever experience shipping thefts like fictitious pickups.
Procedure Aids Theft Investigations
Thieves are hacking online information to steal crop shipments from growers. Butte County Sheriff’s Detective Matt Calkins says video is always good; however, a simple request from the driver could help an investigation significantly. “A thumbprint is huge for us because we can absolutely identify somebody from that if they’ve ever used a thumbprint to get a driver’s license or if they’ve ever been arrested because their thumbprints will be on file anywhere in the United States,” Calkins says. “Driver’s licenses can be forged. Stolen plates can be put on trucks. While the video or photos can help tie incidents together and possibly ID the subject, they work best when in conjunction with a thumbprint we can absolutely tie to a person.”
Calkins says a normal driver should have no problem with that request. “A reputable driver should give you a thumbprint, no questions asked, before taking possession of a potentially half to three-quarter million dollar load of goods,” says Calkins. “If they refuse, then something’s up. Send them on their way.”