The movie “Gone in 60 Seconds” is a lot more plausible if instead of stealing the whole car, you only focus on one smaller aspect of it. That’s what thieves in Oswego, IL are doing, stealing just the tailgates from pickup trucks.

WBBM reports that six times in six months crooks have taken the tailgates off pickup trucks in parking lots in Oswego. They can actually go for a decent chunk of cash. They sell for $4,000 new but the “hot” tailgates can go for $600-$700 and the crooks are still making decent change. Tailgates often get a lot of wear and tear so needing a replacement is not uncommon.

The bad news is that once the tailgate is gone, it’s practically untraceable.

The good news is that it’s very easy to stop the theft. Simply lock your tailgate. It’s then well-nigh impossible to remove. And if your tailgate isn’t the kind that can be locked, back it up to a garage or building when you park it so the thieves can’t open it to take it off.

A New Trend In Crime: Tailgate Thefts [WBBM]

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