HOW TO PREVENT THEFT ON CONSTRUCTION SITES

You would be surprised at what criminals would find valuable enough to steal.

Robbing cars, bank vaults, or jewelry stores can be lucrative for criminals, but they are high-risk criminal endeavors that can result in arrest, prison, or even death.

But some kinds of robberies are a relatively lower opportunistic risk but can be just as lucrative, and those are construction site robberies.

But believe it or not, construction sites are a popular target for theft. The raw materials that are used in the construction market are very valuable on the open market.

Construction sites are easier, softer targets for thieves to steal from than other more protected targets. And they are not always fully secured 24-hours a day. 

Construction sites always need more expensive materials regularly replenished as work progresses. So, knowledgeable construction site thieves will always have a regular source of materials to plunder if they strategically plan heists.

To put this idea in context, let’s talk about how less risky and more profitable it is for car thieves to steal strategic components from under a car than steal the whole car. Modern vehicles have G.P.S. devices, and there are CCTV cameras everywhere now. Car thieves play Russian roulette with their liberty and lives when they steal cars.

Raw Car Materials 

From 2019 to the present, catalytic converter theft has increased by 325%. A catalytic converter reduces harmful emissions from a car. They are located under a car and feature a few grams of precious metals like platinum, palladium, or rhodium. 

But an ounce of each metal sells for $1,000, $2,300, and $20,000 respectively.

The average catalytic converter has three to seven grams of platinum in it. Depending on market conditions, a gram of platinum can be worth $31 to $38. So, a thief could make several hundred or thousands by stealing dozens of catalytic converters.

Now, let’s use this same strategic theft logic for construction sites.

The Value of Raw Construction Materials

Construction sites are large, sprawling, and chaotic. And it is hard for workers or security to notice everything. It’s a shame because the raw materials on a construction site, like metal, lumber, pipes, glass, copper, and even specialized tools, are very valuable.

In large, population-dense metropolitan cities, it can cost anywhere between $3.5 million to $20 million per floor to build a skyscraper. And even in an era of skyrocketing inflation, the cost of construction materials has increased by over 20%.

If your construction company is not taking preemptive or proactive steps to reduce material theft, you may spend millions more to finish a project.

Let’s talk about how to prevent construction site theft. But let’s first discuss why thieves target construction sites and what they steal.

Contact B&B Roadway and Security Solutions for a professional consultation on how to augment your business’ site access and security.