If you’re looking to start or end a vacation with having something stolen from your luggage, D/FW Airport is a good place to go. At least that’s the impression you get when you look at the rising number of reported thefts over the past 5 years.

News 8 examined six years of crime data at D/FW Airport and discovered a troubling trend. Thefts are on the rise.

It is and has been the most reported crime at D/FW since 2003.

In that year, police took 227 reports not including stolen vehicles, records revealed. In 2008, the number of reported thefts almost tripled [or how about “doubled” – Ed.] to 607.

The total numbers of thefts and stolen vehicles at D/FW are

• 2003 – 266
• 2004 – 364
• 2005 – 385
• 2006 – 468
• 2007 – 534
• 2008 – 607

D/FW officials have everything under control, however, because they are taking this seriously:

“This is a place the size of the island of Manhattan with 225,000 daily residents all moving,” said Ken Capps, a spokesman at D/FW Airport. “And so, in the grand scheme of things, the crime rate is low, but it’s something we take very seriously.”

They say they’re beefing up security, but unless every theft at the airport is being committed by a traveler, we’re more curious about some transparency into their hiring and screening process, and what they plan on doing to reduce employee-related theft.

“Internal security really needs to be looked at,” said Gilbert Humphrey, traveler.

Someone stole a hard drive out of his checked suitcase last month, which included photos of his two tours in Iraq he had yet to backup.

Just to rub salt in the wound, the TV station points out that reported thefts for Love Field—which is considerably smaller than D/FW—has never topped 20 in each of the past five years.

“D/FW Airport adds police, cameras as thefts rise” [WFAA-TV] (Thanks to James!)
(Photo: cote)

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