A few weeks ago, The Calgary Sun reported a spike in commercial thefts last year … by a staggering 70%! According to Calgary Police, this unbelievable spike in thefts can be attributed to an increase in opiate drug use and the economic downturn.
"Calgary has seen a reduction in marijuana, powder cocaine and crack cocaine demand and a higher demand for the opiate drugs, oxycontin, heroin and in particular the fentanyl drugs, which are highly addictive [and] very dangerous when you're coming down, which means you need to get another hit of the fentanyl again.” - Supt. Kevin Stuart
The combination of drug use and job loss has contributed to this huge increase in theft … creating a truly desperate criminal looking to support their use of a highly addictive and dangerous drug.
"Thirty-five thousand Calgarians have lost their jobs, which affects a lot more people than that, so that's a significant number of people in a city the size of Calgary out of work." -Supt. Kevin Stuart
Commercial theft includes construction site robberies, including new home build sites and fenced compounds, where valuable metals such as copper wire is stored. In addition to theft of precious metals like copper, these new building sites are also vulnerable to theft of appliances like furnaces, air conditioning units, tools and hot water tanks.
Construction sites are very often one of the most vulnerable commercial sites when it comes to theft … on one site alone, thieves have a large choice of items to target, everything from precious metals and appliances to equipment, tools and vehicles. The major cost is the repair work that needs to be done after copper wire has been literally pulled out of the walls…. Rewiring, re drywalling etc.
And unfortunately, these sorts of items are often left unsecured, making your construction site even more vulnerable to desperate criminals looking for the path of least resistance to steal something to fence and sell.
How can you protect your construction site from thieves? Here are some DOs and DON’Ts of construction site security:
DON’T hire a security guard. It’s expensive and ineffective…security guards have a difficult time monitoring large sites and are often scheduled over night…and I know I couldn’t stay awake all night.
DO use a Sonitrol verified security system. This will remove the need for a security guard as you will have your own expert operator to monitor your site, 24/7.
DON’T simply put up a fence, lock it and call it a day. Yes, this will stop an honest person from entering your site, but we’re not dealing with honest people when it comes to break-ins.
DO install perimeter security measures like SonaVision, which combines motion sensors with infrared cameras that see criminals in the dark. When armed, the system will sense movement when a criminal jumps the fence or attempts to cut through it.
DON'T allow your employees and contractors to manage your tools, or allow them to use your equipment keys without tracking.
DO identify assets and property onsite, and track it regularly using Sonitrol access control to tool cribs and video to record the removal and return of items. This will help protect you from the internal theft that sometimes goes unnoticed. Your tracking system can include key sign-in / sign-out to help prevent keys from being left inside vehicles.
DON’T choose a CCTV surveillance camera that only records video.
DO choose a video surveillance system that integrates with other security measures like audio intrusion… and allows you to “tune in” whenever you’d like to monitor your site.
DON’T make it easy! Don’t leave equipment and tools all over your site … a fenced perimeter is an easy hurdle to overcome, especially when your goods are visible to the desperate criminals looking for an opportunity.
DO lock up your equipment and tools out of sight in a tool crib/sea can. . At minimum, keep them away from the fenced perimeter.
DO choose a security company known for catching criminals. Deterrence is what you really want. That’s why you should choose Sonitrol. Police respond to Sonitrol alarms in 3 minutes on average … in all communities including verified only. Sonitrol has over 172,000 apprehensions since 1977… criminals know who Sonitrol is and wont attempt to even break into a Sonitrol site … deterrence is the real goal.
Ready to protect your construction site from criminals? Contact us today for a free construction site security review:
About Sonitrol Western Canada:
We're so confident in our technology and responsive service, that no one else in the industry can match our guarantee. Our unique verified audio and CCTV video business security solutions enable our operators to hear and see what is happening in your business before the criminals gain entry!! We verify the actual source of the alarm, and we get the police to attend the scene immediately. FOR A FREE SECURITY AUDIT, click here, or call 1-866-766-4876.
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Sonitrol Western Canada, with its Verified Electronic Security Systems, is committed to providing customers with the most comprehensive security protection. Cooperation in the elimination of false alarms is not only beneficial to the system’s user, but results in better protection of the entire community by allowing law enforcement to use their resources as efficiently as possible.
