Uptick in tailgate thefts reported in Burbank

Police in Burbank are alerting pickup truck drivers of a spike in tailgate thefts.

The tailgate is the portion of the truck that opens and closes at the back of the pickup bed.

Sergeant Derek Green with the Burbank Police Department told KPCC that tailgates without locks installed are easily removed by thieves.

"We had six reported in about a nine-day period, which is pretty significant," Green said. "Most of them were Toyota pickup trucks. We also had one stolen from a Ford F-150."

Most of the tailgates stolen were from 2007 to 2014-model trucks.

With a price tag of up to $3,000, tailgates are expensive to replace. Body shops will usually replace a damaged tailgate with a brand new one, so they're often on the lookout for cheap alternatives, Green said. 

"Unfortunately that creates a black market for these because people can sell them stolen for much cheaper on the black market, and that's why they are highly-targeted by thieves," Green said.

Green advised pickup truck owners to buy and install after-market cable locks, and that online resources can explain the best methods.

Police also recommend owners etch their license number or vehicle identification number etched into their tailgates so it can be returned to its owner if found.