Materials theft continues to plague construction sites. The lack of supplies and increase in prices have made materials especially desirable for thieves.
In this month’s Arrest of the Month video, we caught someone helping himself to a few items from a Seattle construction site and then wait at a bus stop. He did get a ride, but it was in a police cruiser, not a bus.
Just before 4:00 in the morning, a trespasser was spotted by a trained ECAM security operator on a construction site. He was seen entering one of the portable toilets then existing. He opened another door, peeked inside before walking away.
Our operator contacted local authorities, and gave them a description of the subject, his activity and location. The operator continued to follow the intruder as he walked past several pieces of heavy equipment. The suspect stopped in front of a ladder lying against the side of the building and picked up some materials. He turned around then entered the building under construction.
The trespasser stayed inside for a few moments then quickly exited. He returned to the perimeter fence and left the site. Our operator continued to observe the subject as he stood under the awning of a transit stop with another person. One police officer arrived and made contact with the subject. Two police cruisers were seen pulling up in front of the transit stop. The suspect was handcuffed and taken into custody.
Combat Materials Theft with A Proactive Security Solution
According to the Producer Price Index (PPI) report that was released from the Bureau of Labor Statistics in December 2021, the price of materials used for residential construction rose by 1.5%. Expensive materials become prime theft targets. Not only can the cost to replace stolen tools, materials or equipment be expensive, but there could also be an impact on productivity and timelines if the there is a long wait to replace them.
Remote video monitoring is a safe and effective way to keep watch over your construction site. Analytics-based cameras are monitored in real time by trained security operators. When the technology in the cameras pick up suspicious activity, such as someone entering the site after hours, it will alert the security professional who can jump in and assess the situation. As you saw in the video, our operator observed the subject picking up materials and taking them off the site. So, authorities were called.
When police receive a call from us, they know we are watching activity in progress, so they typically elevate the priority level of the call. This often results in arrival at the scene while the suspects are still in the area.
If you are looking for a cost-effective security solution for your next project, contact us.
