Missing a truck tailgate? You're not alone

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Missing a truck tailgate? You're not alone

   Florida is No. 3 nationwide in reported thefts of pickup truck tailgates.

By Austin L. Miller 

When Kunal Gaekwad started to back his 2016 Ford F-250 King Ranch pickup truck out of his parking spot outside a gym on south Pine Avenue on a recent afternoon, he noticed the backup camera screen was black. Then he noticed why — the tailgate had been stolen.

Gaekwad was the victim of a national trend of thefts of tailgates from a variety of models of pickups.

Nationally, the top states reporting the thefts are Texas and California. Florida is third.

Arizona, which ranks fourth, recently launched a campaign called "Watch Your Tail," sponsored by the Arizona Automobile Theft Authority. One purpose is to encourage residents to lock and secure tailgates with various devices.

According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, the number of truck tailgate thefts nationwide jumped from 430 claims in 2010 to 1,895 in 2014....

http://www.ocala.com/news/20170329/missing-truck-tailgate-youre-not-alone