Construction theft poses a significant challenge to both large and small-scale projects across Canada, with equipment, vehicles, building materials, and tools disappearing from sites at an alarming rate. Recent estimates indicate that construction theft costs Canadian contractors up to $46 million annually, with losses escalating over time. The ease of theft, coupled with the lucrative resale market for stolen goods, makes construction sites prime targets for both on-site workers and organized criminals.

Just this month, anexcavator was stolen from a construction site in Vancouver. Witnesses say that they watched the machine get loaded onto a flatbed late in the evening around 10:30 PM.

The excavator is estimated to be worth $50,000 and is the third machine to be stolen in four years from the same property owner. The RCMP are currently asking the public for help and requesting CCTV or dash cam footage from the area, as well as witnesses.

Machine theft is a real risk for construction sites, but it isn’t the only thing that thieves are looking to steal. Here are some more common items that thieves will take from construction sites, highlighting why construction site security is so critical:

You may have seen the headlines last January or saw the post on social media, but this time last year Nanaimo RCMP and a heavy construction equipment contractor were dealing with the theft of a mini excavator stolen from a City of Nanaimo job site. Work had to stop on the sewer and water mains project while the theft was being investigated.

“Over $15,000 worth of construction equipment has been recovered and a Hope man has been arrested after RCMP received a call from a resident about a ‘prowler’ at a local construction site. Earlier this month, Hope RCMP said they received a call from a resident about copper wire allegedly stolen from a construction site in the 300-block of Fort Street. The same resident called police again on April 10 to report someone at the site.” Apr. 29, 2020, The Chilliwack Progress

It’s great that in the Chilliwack case the RCMP was able to recover stolen property based on a resident tip-off, but that isn’t always the outcome...

Earlier this year, $50,000 worth of assets including a 14’ trailer were stolen from a construction site in Pincher Creek, Alberta. This is just an incredibly small portion of the $46 million worth of equipment stolen from construction sites annually in Canada.

With only 25 percent of equipment being recovered from construction site crimes, it is clear that it is time for the construction industry to adapt.

Two of the most common crimes that affect construction sites are theft and vandalism.

This is often due to lack of security which leaves machines, equipment, tools, materials and the building which is being constructed unguarded in an environment that is perfect for camouflaging criminals – dark and unoccupied.

It can sometimes be tough to maintain your construction site or compound’s security, with a range of security concerns, from after dark break-ins to internal theft from your employees, but compound security doesn’t have to be difficult! 

Monitored and verified CCTV / video security systems ensure your business is protected. Anytime you're not watching, criminals will seize the chance to act.

CCTV surveillance can be used to protect companies in a number of industries. Surveillance doesn’t just mean installing a CCTV camera. The system needs to be monitored and alarms verified, otherwise a CCTV camera is just a recording device.

Here are 8 businesses that can benefit greatly from the use of monitored and verified CCTV and video security systems.

Over the past few months, there have been more and more stories about daredevils and miscreants seeking thrills atop skyscrapers and construction cranes.

Commonly known as rooftopping, this practice is both dangerous and a misuse of valuable emergency resources.

A worldwide phenomenon, Vancouver, Coquitlam and Calgary have been some of the more recent hot spots in Western Canada. Sonitrol has a solution.

Business owners are right to be concerned about the security of their facility and property. Businesses are the number one targets for crime. The National Burglar and Fire Alarm Association estimates that property crime averages 75% of all crime committed. 

It's true that some types of commercial enterprises are more attractive to thieves because of what they sell or inventory - medical marijuana, jewelry, electronics, to name a few, but even if you aren't in high-end retail, don't be fooled into thinking you are safe. Thieves break into constructions sites, tire warehouses, fenced compounds, and even ordinary business offices, to steal information like employee data for identify theft.

Construction sites are a favourite target for the theft of valuable items and vandalism. If you're getting ready for your spring construction project then you should also be planning for your construction site security. 

According to the US Database of Stolen Heavy Equipment - The National Equipment Register - one-third of construction site thefts are reported on Monday mornings (this is because they're broken into over weekends and not noticed until employees show up Monday for work) , and more than 70 percent of thefts are from construction sites with a lack of adequate security, if any.

I want to conclude my series of blogs about construction theft by sharing some construction industry data and facts. It's hard to put an exact figure on the total cost of construction theft to construction companies and contractors in Canada, but according to a report from Zurich Canada, we can safely say that the amount is severely under reported in the area of $46 million per year in insurance claims.

My last few blogs were about the growing problem of copper theft, some of which occurs on construction sites.  But if we put copper theft to one side, general theft on the construction site is also a serious problem and has to be solved.

The CBC recently reported that construction site theft was driving up home prices. Homebuilders for example, have estimated that new residential home vandalism and theft cost about $1,000 per home.  And if heavy equipment is stolen, the replacement cost could be in the $100,000’s of dollars.

Construction equipment theft is a heavy burden on the industry as a whole, which is largely comprised of small businesses, contractors and developers. Insurance claims don’t usually cover the full costs involved, and inevitably the extra costs gets passed on to the purchaser.

If you’re a general contractor, project manager, or construction site superintendent, the last thing you need heading into an aggressive spring construction season is the loss of valuable tools, equipment, and materials - not to mention having your trailers and storage compounds rifled through and damaged.

You might think it’s enough to have a fenced, well-lit area, with secure locked gates - but it isn’t.