Small Investment Can Deliver Big Returns
In the first quarter of 2019, the construction industry’s Crime Prevention Program of Southern California (CPP SoCal) members who reported thefts had an 87% recovery rate of the equipment. The many layers of prevention available to CPP members contribute to this impressive statistic, but one item that may be overlooked — and really shouldn’t be — is our Reward Hotline decal.
Money well spent
Today’s technology is a huge help when it comes to tracking and managing your heavy equipment. However, that technology can become obsolete if a crook tampers with or removes it from your equipment. That’s where CPP and our layered approach to crime prevention come in. One of the many layers of prevention that CPP encourages our members to use is our Reward Hotline decals and signs.
Case in point: CPP received a call on the Reward Hotline the morning after member company Powell Constructors reported the theft of a Big Tex Dump Trailer and a Volvo Skid Steer. The skid steer was equipped with LoJack which had been and activated when the member reported the theft. However, Powell Constructors had also applied decals to their equipment as an additional prevention and identification layer. When someone saw both pieces of equipment sitting abandoned in a neighborhood not far from where it had been stolen. Garden Grove, that tipster made the call to the 24/7 hotline. The recovery of $36,623 worth of equipment was due solely to applying a sticker that cost less than $5.
Each year, construction theft accounts for between $300 million and $1 billion in losses. Year after year, California ranks in the top five for suffering the greatest amount of theft. Members of the construction industry’s Crime Prevention Program have direct access to information and contacts that help them avoid being victims of theft. Additionally, CPP acts as a liaison to law enforcement to assist our members in the event of theft to increase the chances of recovering stolen equipment.
Join the community
California construction companies’ sites are particularly busy these days and there are a lot of moving parts on a daily basis. If a piece of equipment goes missing, it may not be immediately noticed or, if it is noticed, it may not get reported in a timely fashion. This is why outfitting your equipment and job site with CPP Reward Hotline decals and signs as an additional layer of prevention is so vital. Before you even realize your bulldozer, skid steer, compressor, jackhammer, or light tower are gone, our Reward Hotline may get a call about its location. That sticker works like a silent beacon, even if you aren’t yet aware of your missing item.
Utilizing CPP Reward Hotline decals and signs is one way to send a message that you and your company are part of a community that is working to fight construction crime. With decals and signs available in a variety of sizes, plus access to resources, year-round support and free training, CPP members have an advantage when it comes to protecting their equipment. The resources invested to mark your assets with CPP Reward Hotline information is one simple but vital step to protecting your bottom line. Something that costs less than a cup of coffee could end up saving you thousands.