Construction Site Theft Prevention Presented by Sgt Scott

Construction Site Theft Prevention Presented by: Sgt. Scott Hilden Canton Police Department

Statistics Canton Construction Larcenies **February 2005 began “We Nail Thieves Program”**

When are these crimes occurring? • Daytime regular work hours • After hours and weekends • Middle of the night

Crime Prevention Is the anticipation, recognition, and appraisal of a crime risk, and the initiation of some action to remove or reduce it.

What is needed to commit a crime? 1. 2. 3. Criminal, with the motivation to steal Victim Opportunity

How are we going to reduce the incidence of thefts at your sites? • Risk vs Reward, increase the chance of • • being caught Reduce the opportunity for thefts Create an environment that makes it difficult to steal

Criminal Opportunity • It is controllable • Potential victims can reduce their vulnerability to criminal attack by taking proper security precautions • Criminal opportunity is often impulsive, the thief stumbles upon an opportunity because of our carelessness

What types of items are stolen? • Heavy equipment-backhoes, loaders etc… • Utility trailers • Lumber • Mortar mixers • Power tools • Appliances/furnishings • Copper • The Kitchen Sink!!

Defensible Space • In 1772 Oscar Newman, an architect and urban • planner published a book called “Defensible Space” His concept is still used today and has defined this concept as follows: – “the range of mechanisms – real and symbolic barriers, strongly defined areas of influence, and improved opportunities for surveillance – that combined to being an environment under the control of its residents. ”

What does this mean? Defensible Space • You create an environment that psychologically causes those within to feel the sense of control by its’ residents or managers. – Prison environment – Office of a CEO – Chief of Police – Court room

Creating a Defensible Space • Give work rules to all employees and have them prominently displayed in several areas • Post signs that indicate “All thefts will be prosecuted” • Post signs indicating “Authorized Personnel Only” at job site entrances

Defensible Space continued…. • Offer a reward incentive program for workers who report thefts • Encourage anonymous tips • Crime Stoppers 1 -800 -SPEAK UP • Conduct random unannounced work site visits • You have now set the tone

Site Security Total Site Security is often difficult to achieve, however there are many simple measures that can be taken that will improve or enhance current site security.

Site Security continued…… If the thief sees that the site is well secured, he is likely to conclude that the equipment is also well secured and will move on to a softer target. This concept is called “Crime Displacement”

Crime Displacement • We cannot stop a determined criminal from committing a crime. What we can do is make it more difficult. This may cause them to go somewhere else to find an easier target.

Site Security • Establishing a perimeter around a work site can be accomplished several ways – Natural barriers • Bushes • Trees • Landscape rocks • Ponds, lakes etc…

Site Security continued… • Man made barriers – Fences – Gates – Electronic monitoring equipment – Security patrols – Contact neighbors around the site enlist their support in watching for suspicious activities

Fencing First Line of Defense • Use see-through material, such as chain link, this allows visibility inside the fence • Keep fenced areas free of bushes and debris • Ideally 7 -8 ft tall • Limit access to keys for fenced areas • Conduct routine fence inspections, repair

How much security is up to you!

Other Work Barriers In many cases it will not be possible or cost effective to fence in a worksite. There are other options such as barriers and ditches that can have a significant effect

Barriers • Low walls, ditches, dirt berms, or anything else that would prevent a unit from being driven or towed off the worksite • Keep these walls or berms no taller than 3 ft so police can see into the site from their patrol car

Gates Your only as strong as your weakest point • Gates should be of heavy construction, hinge • • pins spot welded to prevent easy removal Locking hardware should be case hardened chain and a high security padlock permanently attached to the fence If possible, have only one entrance/exit

Gates continued • Secure all work entrances/exits with a gate and lock, don’t leave the lock open on the gate • Limit the number of access points to the site

Warning Signs • Crime Stoppers “We Nail Thieves” • Post “Warning” signs “No Trespassing” around the perimeter of your worksite • Enhance signs by adding that “Product Identification Numbers” are recorded for all equipment

Prominently display signs around your site

Lighting is one of the most effective low cost deterrents that is available • Lights should be placed along the perimeter of • • the property and directed toward the worksite Lights should be of suitable quality and the power source protected Lights should be well maintained and checked regularly

Types of Light Controls • Motion Sensitive • Photo-Electric Control- this light activates automatically at dusk • Timers • Event driven control- these lights can be set to activate upon detection of an intruder to illuminate the area

Type of Light Sources • Incandescent- used in homes today • Quartz- improved incandescent • Halogen- used indoor and out very bright light • • • with good color rendition Florescent- type of mercury vapor, not good outdoors Mercury Vapor- used widely outdoors, poor color rendition, startup is not immediate Metal Halide- excellent color rendition with pure white illumination, startup is not immediate

Light Source continued-- • High Pressure Sodium- very efficient light used outdoors color rendition is fair, must have time to start • Low Pressure Sodium- most efficient light, poor color rendition, takes a long time to reach full illumination

Good Lighting

Good Lighting

Where would you park?

Bad/Poor Lighting

Where would you commit your crime?

Tools and Equipment • Remove tools and equipment from the job site at the end of each day if feasible • Consider storing tools and equipment in a high traffic / high visibility area. – Use areas with natural sight surveillance – Store them in a secure locked heavy duty cargo container – Keep area illuminated at night

Tools and Equipment continued • Record serial or product identification numbers • Engrave hand tools and other valuables with your drivers license number – This allows us to track down the owner

Trailer/Office • Keep a record of the serial numbers on all tools, • • • computers, fax machines, radios, cell phones, and other equipment Secure computers to the floor or sides of desks with strips of metal and bolts or screws Backup computer data frequently and store it off site Have the trailer or office alarmed – Silent – Audible

Securing your computers

Key Control • Create a policy • Require that keys be removed from equipment • • • when not in use Keep a key tracking log which requires keys to be signed out/in Restrict who has access to keys, equipment and the worksite Keep keys secured in a safe, or other lockable area when not in use

4 D’s of Locks • Deter • Delay • Detect • Deny

Locks • If using a padlock, they should be “high security” casehardened or laminated steel, and with tamper proof guards • Combination locks offer lower security due to the possibility for sharing the combination • Use padlocks that must be re-locked before the key can be removed

Hardened locks

Locks continued………………… • Case-hardened chains used with padlocks should • • be thick enough to resist torch, saws and bolt cutters Consider cable or wire rope instead of chain as it is harder to cut and requires special tools Consider “blind” or enclosed locking devices on equipment doors and perimeter gates

Shielded Shackle Locks

Hidden Shackle Lock (Hockey puck)

Are you relying on this for security?

Additional Crime Prevention Strategies • Delay installation of appliances to as late as possible in the construction phase • Conduct background investigations on employees • Encourage all employees to challenge strangers who enter the job site • All personnel should be trained to say “may I help you? ”

“May I Help you? ”

Heavy Equipment Theft • Thieves steal an estimated $1, 000, 000 (billion) in heavy equipment annually • Recovery rate is as low as 10%

What makes it so difficult to investigate Heavy Equipment theft? • Difficult gaining legal or physical access to • • • equipment Varied locations of PIN numbers Confusion between PIN and other ID numbers on equipment No standard numbering formats Absence or inaccuracy of theft reports Equipment is not titled so there is limited PIN information

Vehicle Security • However good the perimeter security, a thief may still gain access to the equipment and equipment may move from more to less secure worksites so it is important for vehicle security to be as good as possible

Vehicle Security continued…… • Install theft prevention devices to disable fuel, • • hydraulic, and or electrical systems Consider installing a recovery system (Lojack) Portable equipment can be immobilized by removing tires if not being used regularly Consider hitch protection, disable or remove the hitch Don’t leave equipment on a trailer

Inventory Control • Equipment marking- use etching tools and • • • duplicate the units PIN number in at least two places. Customize the unit- unique paint colors, paint the roof a different color etc… it is more likely to be noticed and less likely to be stolen Record any and all numbers on the unit- PIN, serial, chassis, model, and manufacturer and keep them in an accessible location if needed Use decals and signs telling the potential thief what has been done

Anchor and Immobilize • Use a chain or cable to secure equipment • Remove wires or batteries on equipment left on site • Lower buckets and blades to immobilize large equipment • Protect smaller items by positioning larger items in a way to make them inaccessible

National Equipment Register (NER) • Consider Registering all your heavy construction equipment • National database accessible to Law Enforcement • Can check suspicious equipment in their theft database

How to get started • Contact your local police department before • • breaking ground Designate a management level employee as a site crime prevention coordinator Implement and maintain these crime prevention strategies Post your sites with the “We Nail Thieves” posters Prosecute all thefts

Getting some zzzzzzzz’s The End