Did you know that Vancouver construction sites are experiencing a rising number of thefts? In fact, the Vancouver Police have gone as far as actively encouraging construction companies to take extra precautions to prevent crime, following a spike in thefts on the city’s west side. 

The most recent theft was reported May 10 at a construction site in Kerrisdale, when three pallets of roofing shingles and 60 sheets of plywood were stolen after being left insecure for several days. 

That theft follows similar crimes in Arbutus Ridge, Kitsilano, Marpole, and Dunbar.

Since January, at least seven construction sites on the west side have been targeted. In one case, thieves got away with more than $10,000 in plywood.

The rise in construction site thefts is a result of the soaring lumber prices that North America has experienced since last year.  

“As lumber prices have continued to rise, VPD has seen a significant increase in break and enters to construction sites this year,” says Sergeant Steve Addison of Vancouver Police Department. “In many cases, the thieves have made off with thousands of dollars in plywood and other building materials. We’re encouraging site managers to take precautions to avoid future thefts.”

“We don’t yet know who is responsible for these crimes, or whether it’s the work of one or more thieves. But due to the number of materials being stolen, it’s likely the thieves are using a large truck or moving van.”

What can construction companies do to protect their sites?

Vancouver Police recommend the following tips to deter thieves from constructions sites:

• Plan ahead, and don’t have more building materials on your site than you will need for that workday;
• Time deliveries right. Don’t place an order for a Friday afternoon if there is no work happening on the weekend;
• Consider securing extra materials on an upper floor of the building under construction, or place a heavy object like the forks of a forklift on top so thieves can’t easily access them.

You can go above and beyond these tips, with the implementation of a Sonitrol Western Canada verified security solution.

Sonitrol is the industry leader in verified security solutions, which use advanced audio, infrared and video technology to monitor your construction site. Through our security solutions that are monitored and verified in real-time by a security expert in our 24/7 central monitoring station, we are able to detect criminals entering your site and allow for rapid police response times.

Our unique SonaVision security technology is able to detect criminals entering your secure area. Once detected, push video technology immediately sends video through to our operators, who are then able to verify whether the threat is real or a false alarm. 

If verified as a real threat, police will be alerted and dispatched immediately to catch the criminal red-handed before they make it off your site with any assets. 

Because of this innovative verification, police respond to Sonitrol Western Canada alarms in just 3.5 minutes compared to the 45 minutes or more it takes for them to respond to traditional CCTV alarms. 

Want to learn more about how your construction company can secure its sites with the addition of Sonitrol verified alarms? Get in touch with us today. We would love to undertake a free security audit of your construction site.