Between miles-long trains and an e-commerce boom, cargo on freight trains has become easy pickings for robbers.

Plus, we’ll look at the how gas prices can affect elections and do the numbers on the new COVID vaccine in this week’s newsletter.

Retailers want stiffer sentences for what they say is rising theft. But the data isn’t clear, says Nicole Lewis of The Marshall Project.

As trace metals become more valuable, thefts keep climbing, causing headaches for drivers, mechanics and insurance companies.

The National Retail Federation says theft, fraud and poor inventory management led to $95 billion in losses last year.

There’s something more valuable than gold attached to the bottom of your car — and it’s sparking a crime wave across the country.

So far this season conservation officers have seized well over 15,000 spruce tops illegally harvested in Minnesota.

Some are skeptical the chain retailer’s “shrink” is due to opioid addiction.

City of Light … fingers?

Virginia’s felony threshold for property theft is tied with New Jersey for the lowest in the nation at $200. There’s bipartisan support to raise it to $500 this year, but that’s still far below the threshold for most states.