From the early stages of mining raw materials to when the end user gets the product in their hands, supply chains are utilized every step of the way. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chains have been facing damaging disruptions that have had a direct impact on crime.
Supply Chain Disruptions & the Rising Threat of Theft
There is growing concerns in regards to the protection of inventory within distribution centres and warehouses. The rising threat of theft can be directly attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic that has been ongoing for the last two years.
For instance, due to supply chain disruptions, warehouses are packed full of inventory(1). Pre-pandemic theft was most often committed in areas with higher volumes of inventory, allowing warehouse managers to plan where they deploy security. This concept has become irrelevant with the current supply chain disruptions, as warehouses are consistently full; resulting in the security measures that once protected these smaller amounts of inventory… now being stretched thin.
Additionally, when these facilities reach capacity, companies are forced to resort to last minute off-site storage that may deploy little to no security measures to protect this inventory. In terms of severity of the problem, in 2021 alone, cargo theft cost North American businesses $57.9 million USD, averaging out to $172,340 per incident(2).
These types of crimes are occurring regularly, and a specific instance can be found in the major theft committed at a distribution facility in Delta, British Columbia, where two men were ultimately arrested for inventory theft(3).
When a search warrant was executed on their homes, the Delta Police found approximately $45,000 worth of stolen goods; including electronics, appliances, and children sporting goods. Another prime example occurred in Whitby, Ontario, where 5 suspects were arrested in relation to a string of break-ins at a LCBO warehouse(4).
Police were able to recover over $1 million worth of stolen liquor and transportation equipment that was being secretly held in a warehouse in Etobicoke.
These are only two of the many warehouse & distribution centre thefts that have been occurring in Canada in recent months due to supply chain disruptions.
How do we protect your Distribution Centres from theft?
Our innovative video monitoring security is designed to protect your distribution centres by detecting and deterring criminal activity before it occurs; starting at the perimeter of your site. Our first line of perimeter defense is simple yet highly effective anti-trespassing and surveillance warning signage.
These signs are deployed to inform trespassers that they are entering an off-limits site, that is being actively monitored, and that they will be prosecuted if found in violation. To provide effective site security, our industry leading video monitoring units are deployed to surveil the perimeter and access points of your site. This innovative unit comes standard equipped with two high-resolution stationary cameras, and one Pan-Tilt-Zoom camera to actively surveil your property. The units are strategically placed to provide our video monitoring operators with a complete view of your distribution centre. If required, our security units are capable of easily integrating additional cameras to further expand our operators view.
When an individual is detected on our cameras, our operators will actively attempt to deter them from entering the site by utilizing a variety of powerful security peripherals. Voice commands are issued via our live communication speakers to warn the suspect that they are trespassing and that if they do not vacate the premises, the police will be dispatched. For a visual deterrence, our operators activate our highly visible blue LED strobe lights that bring attention to the area being trespassed. These strobe lights are also a useful tool for directing Police to specific locations on site.
If the suspect cannot be deterred, our highly skilled video monitoring operators will dispatch local law enforcement and provide them with key details such as the suspect(s) description, behavior, and location. When the Police are dispatched, our operators will keep in close contact whilst continuing to gather any detail that can assist in the apprehension of the suspect, or subsequent court proceedings.
Once the suspect has been apprehended, all the details of the incident are compiled into an in-depth report which is accessible through our security information reporting platform, syncroReports. This application is your point of access to security reports, robust analytics, and live security feeds streamed directly from your site.
When a distribution centre requires an additional layer of security, we deploy our wireless intrusion alarm device, syncroDetect. This innovative device is an effective solution for securing locations of importance such as warehouse bay doors, heavy machinery, and storage locations with highly valuable inventory. This unit can be equipped with both door and window contact sensors, and indoor motion detection sensors. When these sensors are tripped, our operators are immediately alerted, and will utilize the closest PTZ cameras to gain a visual of the area, and will respond accordingly.
Supply chain disruptions caused by COVID-19 directly correlate with the increase in cargo & inventory thefts that are occurring at distribution centres and warehouses across Canada. Our industry leading security solutions are the premier choice for protecting your property, and the inventory within it from this rising threat of cargo theft.
Resources:
- “How supply chain back-ups are contributing to cargo theft” Jason Contant, Canadian Underwriter, March 9th, 2022
- “Cargo theft amid strained supply chain” Gabriel Olano, Insurance Business Magazine, March 24, 2022
- “2 men arrested for allegedly stealing $45,000 worth of packages from Delta distribution facility” CBC News, December 10th, 2021
- “Five Charged, $1M in property recovered after break-ins at LCBO warehouse in south Whitby” The Star, May 19th, 2022