Piracy in the Tuffleyverse

Much of the detail of whether piracy or privateering is a problem will depend
on:

1. Your assumptions about superluminal travel (hyperspace versus
realspace, point-to-point jump versus multi-jump passages, unlimited
jump lengths/times vs. limited, intercepts possible mid-passage or
not, jump-points versus jump-anywhere and anything in between, etc)

2. Your assumptions about military/police forces (strong, weak,
capable only in the core, extensive reach limited omniscience, limited reach
and blind, corrupt or honest, well funded or not)

3. Your assumptions about colonies( defenseless versus heavily defended,
ground mount weapons viability, availability of defsats and ability to secure
and control local space, etc)

4. Your assumptions about the economics of cargo theft, vehicle theft and
resale in whole or as components, etc.

6. Your assumptions about the ease of interception of a ship between
ports (in jump, before or after jump, or making journeys in-system or
time in orbit/on planet/making planetfall/refueling by skimming etc)

7. Your assumption about the volume of shipping going on (and how
much of a dent losing a freighter will mean - is privateering thus
feasible or not as an instrument of economic warfare)

All of these play into if/if not and how piracy could be feasible in
your universe. Also note that modern day pirates have agents in shipping
offices and ports who spot targets for them and they sometimes take targets
right in the port!