Construction sites contain many materials and equipment that are appealing to thieves looking to make quick profit. How can we help prevent construction site theft and ensure building projects stay on track?
Sites across Canada experience continued construction site theft.
As building projects scale up across the country, construction sites continue to be targets for thieves as they contain a host of valuable materials that are often easily accessible. The thefts can range from smaller hand tools to large equipment, vehicles, lumber, wiring, and other materials used to complete construction projects. Construction sites become even bigger targets when they are left unattended after-hours and on weekends, when crews have gone and there is less activity on-site.
Recent incidents raise the alarm for improved construction site security.
There have unfortunately been many instances of theft from construction sites that highlight the need for effective construction site theft prevention.
In February 2024, a man was charged after he committed multiple thefts from luxury homes under construction in the Vancouver area. The stolen materials included high-end appliances, home furnishings and fixtures, as well as flooring and lighting. The value of the stolen items is estimated at hundreds of thousands of dollars, with some individual items worth as much as $25,000. The suspect was able to strike at multiple construction sites over the course of several months, with Police finally locating the stolen goods inside of multiple shipping containers. What is particularly alarming is that the suspect was able to move throughout so many construction properties over a prolonged period of time with no effort to intervene or prevent further thefts. (1)
During the same time period, Police responded to a theft after suspects broke into a construction site in Springhill, NS. They stole a large quantity of tools worth around $20,000. Police were able to make arrests after the fact, after the tools appeared for sale online (2). In May 2024, $15,000 worth of lumber was stolen from a construction site in downtown Oakville, ON. Police say the theft occurred during the evening and overnight hours between 6pm and 7:30am. With no surveillance footage to go off of, the Police have no leads, with the suspects currently in the wind (3)
A recent surge of break and enters targeting new homes under construction in Calgary, AB has prompted Police to issue a warning to the public and construction workers. They have created a construction site security checklist which workers can reference to help mitigate the threat of construction site theft (4):
Take notice of people you don’t know on and around the site
Take down license plate and vehicle descriptions
Say something if you see something suspicious
Film suspicious behaviour on your phone
Keep high-value items in secured areas
What else can be done when thieves are committed to stealing valuable materials?
How do we provide effective construction site security?
Site Mapping is the first stage of defense
The first touchpoint in establishing proactive security is effective site mapping. Our Logistics team will survey your construction site to ensure the individual security needs of the site are addressed in order to create a customized security plan. No two construction sites are the same, and a tailored solution establishes a layered approach to security that will deter criminals from striking.
No Trespassing Signage warns that the site is off-limits
Our No Trespassing signage is the next layer of construction theft prevention – strategically placed on fencing around the perimeter of a site to inform criminals the site is off-limits and protected. Once criminals see this signage, they will often leave faster than they arrived.
Artificial Intelligence increases detection accuracy
Our artificial intelligence platform has dramatically increased the accuracy of our detections. If someone enters camera view, syncroAI will immediately differentiate them from other movement and objects on-site. This is especially useful for construction sites to help highlight criminals who may hide among materials and structures. AI will pick them out of the abundance of visual information captured by our cameras, so our Live Remote Video Monitoring team can deter them from striking.
Video Security Units capture all the action
Our Video Security Units can be setup to cover all angles of a construction site, and multiple units can be installed to offer full coverage. All units are connected wirelessly through our proprietary cellular LTE+ platform, utilizing powerful construction site security cameras. High resolution stationary cameras establish perimeter coverage and situational awareness while a dedicated PTZ (Pan-Tilt-Zoom) camera zooms in on important details, including suspect descriptions and behaviors. All footage is sent back securely over our MPLS (Multi-Protocol Label Switching) network to our state of the art Live Remote Video Monitoring facility.
Live Remote Video Monitoring proactively deters criminals
Many construction site security systems are reactive, only providing footage once an incident has occurred, however our primary goal is deter crime on construction sites, before it happens. Our dedicated Live Remote Video Monitoring team are trained to deter criminals on a variety of construction projects. They utilize loud, authoritative voice commands and bright LED strobe lights to signal to potential thieves that the site is protected by proactive security. If criminals continue on in their deeds, Police will be dispatched to the scene to intervene. Our team are second to none in the world of construction site video monitoring.
syncroReports is a complete security portal
All site security information is made available to our clients at the click of a button, through our proprietary reporting platform syncroReports. This portal provides detailed Log Reports, allows for PTZ camera control, and essential tools for project management. Stay fully up to date on building progress and never miss a beat of your site’s security efforts.
Construction sites continue to be targets for brazen thefts across the country. By employing proactive security and Live Remote Video Monitoring, builders can have peace of mind that their materials and equipment are secure.
Resources:
- “Man charged in multiple break-and-enters, thefts from luxury homes under construction”, Stephanie Ip, Vancouver Sun, February 3, 2024
- “RCMP charge a trio of people after a break-in at a Springhill construction site”, Dan Ahlstrand, City News Halifax, February 5, 2024
- “$15,000 worth of lumber stolen from Oakville construction site”, Ben Brown, Oakville News, May 29, 2024
- “Surge in new home break and enters in Calgary prompts police warning”, Megan Yamoah, Global News, April 2, 2024