Even before the COVID-19 crisis, construction site theft was an ongoing problem that affected the industry, costing approximately £800m per year according to World Highways (2020).
The Construction Equipment Association (CEA), mentioned that the construction plant theft increased by almost 50% because of COVID-19 forcing sites to temporarily scale down work and shutting job sites. Under these circumstances, opportunists such as thieves, vandals, and intruders frequently target building sites where high-value materials, costly plant machinery, and equipment are left overnight. During these challenging times, because the machinery and tools are very easy to steal and sell on, it makes it very attractive for organised criminals.
Another issue for the construction industry is the increase in squatting. Squatters living in your building site without your permission can cause damage to your property and some of them are not leaving when they’re told to by a court order. Although squatting is not a crime according to GovUk, squatters can damage the property, steal from it, and use utilities like electricity and gas on your account.
I’ve seen buildings burned down by squatters that used open fire for heating.
In this case the owner of the building is responsible for the fire.
All in one a robust security is a must for giving you peace of mind.
What is the solution?
Pbc Today (2020) emphasised that the construction industry should tighten their security measures to protect building sites from opportunistic thieves.
Keeping thieves, criminals, and vandals away from your construction site can be challenging if you don’t have adequate security measures.
CCTV and Alarms may be helpful but cannot stop intruders entering your premises and once they are inside your building, it is very difficult to get them out.
The only way to stop intruder robbing and vandalising your properties is what landowners always used since the dawn of time.
Guard dogs and handlers act as an extremely effective deterrent to criminals. They work together to help protect your businesses and workers. Trained Patrol dogs have exceptionally heightened senses and skills to detect intruders. With a speedy response time and natural instincts, patrol dogs are able to get to the intruders before any damage is done.
The partnership between a guard dog and a handler is a very efficient security measure. The combination of human capabilities and the dogs barking and detecting any suspicious activity will make a huge impact on your premises and workers’ safety.
Free Security Assessment for you.
At Total Guard Security, we can offer you a free security assessment and you can decide what is the best way to secure your premises depending on your building’s location, size, and many other factors.
Please feel free to contact us on 7877 685922 for any queries and one of our team members will get in touch shortly. Our service is available 24/7.
