Utility trailers hooked up as crime target

Mar. 30—HIGH POINT — Utility trailers, the lifeblood for many small businesses and a resource for outdoor enthusiasts hauling boats and equipment, have become a target for thieves.

The High Point Police Department recorded five utility trailer thefts last year. So far this year police already have handled four thefts.

Davidson County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Chris Azelton said the theft of utility trailers comes in spurts, and thieves often are looking for a quick sale to buy narcotics.

Some owners of utility trailers leave them unlocked in a yard or along a street. Thieves will case neighborhoods or business districts looking for unattended trailers.

"It's fairly easy for these guys to pull up, hook it up and take off without any resistance," Azelton told The High Point Enterprise.

The trade association for the trailer industry said theft has become an all-too frequent occurrence.

"The National Association of Trailer Manufacturers regularly fields inquiries from law enforcement across the nation regarding stolen trailers," the organization says.

The association reports that the group is contacted because the vehicle identification number, or VIN, label has been removed from the trailer, which can make returning it to its rightful owner difficult.

The removal of a VIN label, with certain exceptions, constitutes a federal crime, according to the association, which is based in Topeka, Kansas.

Azelton said that utility trailers stolen in Davidson County have been taken out of state as far away as the Northeast.

"These people have contacts in different states," he said.

According to the association, states have varying levels of requirements or regulations that could make the resale of a trailer without a VIN easier.

"Hence the movement of stolen trailers between states," the group says.

The association says that the price for trailers ranges from $1,000 for a basic model to $250,000 for a high-end trailer that can carry four horses and features living quarters.

Utility trailers serve as a connection for people's aspirations.

"All trailers are carrying precious cargo, whether it is a lawnmower for a landscape business, a family's beloved horses headed for competition or a cherished fishing boat they've saved up for over decades," the association says. "These trailers carry not only products but dreams, and people make significant investments to protect those dreams in-transit by purchasing a trailer."

Azelton said that owners of utility trailers should lock them when they are unattended.

"Put a heavy-duty lock through it so they can't hook it up to their vehicle," he said.

pjohnson@hpenews.com — 336-888-3528 — @HPEpaul