Take Steps to Prevent Construction Crime
Value and mobility are two key factors in the type of tools commonly targeted for construction site theft. Smaller tools, like power tools, jackhammers, and handheld generators, fit both criteria and, all too often, end up being hot commodities for thieves. The more you know about this often unreported crime, the better you can be at construction crime prevention.
Why small tools are a common target for theft
Companies often spend a lot of money on small construction tools, but rarely take the time to track them in their inventory, label them with identifiable markings or install a GPS device. All of these facts lead to criminals knowing that they can easily steal these items from construction sites or trucks and likely be able to quickly sell the untraceable items for a nice profit. The fact that small tools are typically used by many employees throughout the day makes them more difficult to keep track of on a work site and could lead to the assumption that they’re just misplaced instead of stolen, delaying the odds of recovery if the theft is eventually reported.
To increase the likelihood of recovery, you could spray paint the company logo on tools without a traceable serial number. Even something as simple as a colored dot could be enough to identify the tool as yours if they are discovered. It’s an easy way to make a difference and reduce crime.
The benefits of marking and reporting small tools
One of the many benefits of a membership with CPP of SoCal is free training. Our courses provide education on how and where to best mark smaller tools to help prevent theft and potentially recover your equipment.
As an added bonus, CPP of SoCal is also a main contact hub in a large network that assists in locating stolen equipment of all sizes. When we are alerted we share the information with a vast network of contacts and maintain an ongoing list of all member reported thefts that is accessible to law enforcement and can be referred to when serving a warrant. Law enforcement officers often reach out to us if they come across small tools that could potentially belong to a CPP member company as well.
Even if you may think the theft of small tools isn’t important enough to report, you should still take the time to report it to discourage future theft and the resulting ripple effect. Thieves often assume that construction companies won’t bother with reporting these small thefts and therefore there are no repercussions to committing these crimes. If you don’t report it, the cycle continues. Let CPP of SoCal know about any thefts so we can serve as a link in communication between you and local law enforcement officers. We’ll help detectives strengthen their investigations by alerting them to similar cases, as thieves often target several sites for small thefts to lessen the chance of being caught. We’re here to help connect the dots between cases to increase the odds of recovering stolen tools and lead to more successful investigations and prosecutions of these thefts.
Learn more
Contact us today to become a member or to take advantage of your membership, including education about marking small tools. Taking small steps can be a big deal and Together, We Make A Difference.
Leave a Reply