Putting Theft Prevention into Practice
Ray Peterson is founder of Vista Training, Inc., Waterford,
Ray Peterson
November 16, 2005 — While researching for a theft avoidance training video, I interviewed an East Coast police investigator who specialized in heavy equipment theft and was nearing retirement. During the interview, he jokingly remarked, "This job has taught me that I could easily double my retirement income by stealing one or two pieces of construction equipment each year."
After 12 years of specializing in heavy equipment theft, the investigator found it often frustrating and seldom rewarding. Equipment owners and manufacturers failing to secure equipment along with the huge market for “hot iron” made him feel like he was punching a pillow. “Many contractors don't do anything to avoid equipment theft and vandalism until they have been hit at least once,” he said. “Sometimes, it's not until they have been ripped off three times and their insurance rates either have skyrocketed or were cancelled.”
The value of heavy equipment theft in the
Ultimately, the owner suffers the largest loss from equipment theft because even if the machine is covered by insurance, the payout will be prorated based on the age and condition of the machine, which may be well below the owner's value. Add to that time lost until a replacement machine can be acquired, the hassle of filing theft reports and insurance claims, and the risk of being cancelled by your insurance company, and learning some theft and vandal prevention techniques begins to seem like a pretty good idea.
The following are some prevention techniques revealed in interviews with law enforcement, insurance companies, equipment owners, rental companies, manufacturers, equipment dealers, and one professional thief.
Think like a thief
If you were going to steal a piece of equipment, think about what time of day you'd do it. What sort of transport would you need? How would you start and load it? Where would you take it? If you can work out a plan to steal equipment, then you can create methods to frustrate thieves. Statistics indicate that equipment is frequently stolen by former or current employees who usually do not work alone. Create a plan to offer a worthwhile reward for information leading to the thief, and make sure everyone in the company knows about the reward.
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Image 1. Heavy duty cargo door locks help secure jobsite storage trailers.
Make it a hard and fast rule to remove all keys and be sure to shut off the master switch. Remove the fuse to the starter or the fuel pump.
Use lockout kits, chains,
disabling devices and electronic locators
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Image 2. Disabling devices control movement and secure stabilizer-equipped machines.
Well-designed disabling devices are becoming increasingly popular. They do everything from locking up tag-a-long trailers and truck hitches to controlling movement and securing stabilizer-equipped machines with the wheels off the ground. Manufactured locking devices can effectively secure jobsite storage trailers. While it is always better to prevent theft, electronic locators often help recover stolen equipment. Even a fake antenna can act as a theft deterrent.
Uniquely identify equipment
Set up your own numbering system and stencil the identifier in both conspicuous and inconspicuous places, like the top of the ROPS and inside the engine compartment side shields. If the equipment is stolen, it will be easier for law enforcement to identify the machine if you tell them where to look. Dedicated crooks will paint over an obvious identifier but may miss it if the number appears in multiple locations. There are recorded situations where large numbers on the top of the ROPS were spotted from the air. Using unique colors and company logos tends to discourage thieves too.
Communicate with others on the work site
Let other contractors on the work site know that the only people authorized to operate or move your equipment will be in one of your company vehicles. We can't begin to tell you how many pieces of equipment have been stolen off jobsites in broad daylight during normal working hours. Anyone with a trailer and a hard hat can look like an authorized equipment owner or dealer. Establish a mutual reporting system with other contractors on the job and make sure everyone has telephone numbers to call for verification information.
Thieves don't like to work for an audience. Make your equipment as obvious as you can whenever possible. If your equipment is near a convenience store or all night service station, talk to the manager there and offer a reward for information if they see anyone messing around the jobsite after hours.
Avoid leaving equipment loaded and chained down on a trailer. Having the equipment loaded and ready to go is an open invitation to steal not only the equipment but also the truck and trailer. Thieves smart enough to steal equipment are usually schooled in hot wiring trucks.
The problem with dangling a generator, welder, or compressor from a crane is vandals. If a vandal gets in the crane and drops the load on one of their buddies, you can be absolutely certain a lawyer will become involved. Get creative in developing parking patterns that will dumbfound vandals and crooks. For example, tucking a smaller machine or compressor in between a dozer's blades with the blades locked down will take the thieves more time to untangle the machine than they are willing invest.
Tell local police what your concerns are at the site, and they can step up patrols. Also, most police don't know equipment terminology, so be specific and have a picture of the equipment with details about the machine and a serial number. Be sure to leave phone numbers where someone can be reached.
According to police and insurance companies, training employees is vital to establishing an effective theft and vandal prevention program.
Theft prevention may seem just like another task to add to your schedule. But once your machine has been ripped off you'll find out just how complicated it is to replace or recover your machine. There's that old bit about "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" that your mother used to say. Don't you hate it when you realize how often Mom was right?
