3 Security Tips To Help Prevent Construction Crime

Keeping Your Jobsite Secure

It’s no secret that construction sites can be viewed as easy targets for theft during summer holidays. The good news is that there are easy crime prevention steps you can take to improve jobsite security and avoid becoming a victim of construction crime. CPP SoCal is always looking out for your best interests so we’ve compiled a few tips to protect your worksite from potential crime.

Maintain security and prevention protocols 

While installing a security system and lights are two simple ways to deter thieves from viewing your worksite as a potential target, it’s equally important to make sure that your security equipment is always working as expected. Faulty equipment can be easily overlooked, but simple maintenance checks could make a huge difference with crime prevention. To ensure that your jobsite security is doing its job to protect you from becoming a victim of construction crime, be sure to regularly check alarms, lights, cameras, and other security equipment, especially before holidays and weekends, and make any repairs immediately. Verify that cameras and equipment are in working order and confirm they’re capturing – and storing – the intended information. CPP members can also post our Reward Hotline signage on their equipment and yard sites to discourage construction crime.

Know your protocol

Alarms might be triggered by thieves, but can also be set off accidentally by a faulty system. It’s important that you acknowledge every alarm and determine the cause to make sure that your system is working properly. Since a common trick by thieves is to repeatedly trip an alarm system before a break-in to give the impression of a malfunctioning alarm system, having a set protocol for how to deal with every alarm prevents this false alarm theft method from working and lowers the odds of construction crime. Be sure to clearly communicate your company’s protocol for handling an alarm with your scheduled on-call employees and keep your information current at all times. It’s also helpful to give your security company and /or local law enforcement permission to gain access to your jobsite in the event of an incident while waiting for an employee to show up. 

Build a relationship with your local law enforcement

Another crime prevention step you could take would be to introduce yourself to officers at your nearest police station and meet the law enforcement personnel who may be handling any issues with your jobsite. This not only gives you an opportunity to show that you are an active, engaged member of the local community, but also gives you the chance to share information and establish what’s normal for your employees and site. If your employees wear a badge, hard hat or vest that identifies them as a part of your company, then you could let officers know to ask for this identification when investigating potential jobsite security issues. You could also make officers aware of the hours of your operation and let them know about any holiday closures so they can keep an eye out for what you’d consider suspicious activity. 

CPP is here to help!

Technology is great but it’s tough to compete with the human element. Membership in CPP of SoCal means you’ll not only get the training that provides information on crime prevention, but you also get a proven liaison and communication hub with numerous industry partners and law enforcement.
As they say, it’s not always what you know, but who you know. At CPP of SoCal, our network of support is unparalleled in fighting construction crime and our successes continue to prove that “Together, We CAN Make a Difference.” Sign up today and become a CPP Member.

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