While scrolling through Facebook this morning, I came across a post from a person who had their tailgate stolen off the back of their pickup truck while it was parked at the City Limits parking lot in Mason. Mark Bowser says that while he was parked on the east side of the lot on October 19th between 7pm and 8:30pm, someone stole the tailgate off the back of his black 2014 Ford F150. I read the Facebook status to Banana Don and he immediately said, "Yes, that's a thing!" (He drives a truck so he already knew all about tailgate theft.) A quick Google search led me to the The News Wheel website where they actually have a list of the worst states in the U.S. for tailgate theft. And can you guess which state is in the Top 10? If you guessed 'Michigan', then you win!

My next question was why are people stealing truck tailgates? Well, according to the News Wheel, an unlocked tailgate can be removed in seconds, and replacements sell for around $1,300 apiece, retail. They also add that the cost to replace a stolen tailgate is high which leads to a "thriving 'used' market full of people selling stolen goods back to the victims."

Thankfully, it appears that the number of tailgate thefts in Michigan is starting to decrease. (Unfortunately, that wasn't the case for Mark Bowser.) The report says that the overall decrease in tailgate thefts is most likely due to the fact that newer pickups have a tailgate lock. If you have an older model, there are locks that you can buy, too. Click here to read more.

By the way, Mark is still looking for his tailgate. If you know anything about it, feel free to call the Mason Police Department at (517) 676-2458.

 

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