The top 10 U.S. counties where cargo theft incidents are reported was topped by Los Angeles County, with 329 thefts reported from July 1, 2013, through July 1, 2016. More than a third of those took place at a warehouse or distribution center.

The list was compiled with data from CargoNet, a national database and information-sharing system, and AFN Logistics, a freight brokerage, third-party logistics, and transportation management services provider.

Here’s the top ten cargo theft list:

1. Los Angeles County, California

2. Dallas County, Texas

3. San Bernardino County, California

4. Cook County (Chicago), Illinois

5. Miami-Dade County, Florida

6. Harris County (Houston), Texas

7. Tarrant County (Arlington/Fort Worth), Texas

8. Middlesex County (Edison), New Jersey

9. Will County (Bolingbrook), Illinois

10. Riverside County, California

Theft by Location

The most common place that reported cargo theft incidents was in or around warehouses and DC facilities. The breakdown of theft locations is as follows:

1. Warehouse/DC: 329 thefts

2. Other: 295

3. Parking lot: 170

4. Secured yard: 166

5. Unsecured yard: 120

Other theft locations cited in the research include truck stops, side of the road, carrier or terminal lots, drop lots, and ports of entry.

Protecting Your Cargo

“Cargo theft continues to be a pervasive issue,” said Anthony Canale, general manager of CargoNet. “Our 2015 year-end report indicated 881 incidents of cargo theft took place across North America. That increased from 844 cargo thefts reported in 2014 and accounted for more than $175 million in goods. While thieves continue to get more tech-savvy with their approaches, there are measures that can be put in place to stop them, ranging from proactive deterrence tactics to extensive recovery assistance.”

Having a multilayered security approach and being a step ahead of thieves are the best ways to avoid cargo theft incidents. A few measures to prevent theft:

Screen employees. Conduct background checks to screen drivers, warehouse employees, and anyone who has access to shipment information and logistics details.

Put in-transit security measures in place. This can include vibration sensors, geo-fencing, tamper alarms, and remote paging. Set guidelines for drivers, such as asking them not to stop within the first 200 miles (or four hours), using secured lots, and avoiding theft hot spots.

Have a risk management team. Whether it’s in-house or a third party, having a dedicated risk management team will help you avoid theft. Or if something is stolen, this team will respond to the incident and recover the goods quickly.

Know your recovery network. Having open lines of communication with multiple modes of law enforcement helps you quickly report theft information so recovery efforts can be activated promptly.

Be informed. Knowing where and when thefts most commonly occur, as well as what items are commonly targeted, is critical for proactive avoidance.