Archive for November, 2008

In 2007 Texas ranked third behind Florida and California for highest occurrence of construction equipment theft. Copper prices are dropping, but thieves haven’t gotten the message yet and still think it’s an easy target. Your Houston construction site does NOT have to be a target for theft or vandalism. We compiled this article to help you fight back against construction theft in Houston!

1) Remote Jobsite Surveillance that Can Actually Fight Back Against Crime
There are many video surveillance companies out there, but few of them actually monitor your jobsite security cameras LIVE. And there’s only ONE – Pro-Vigil – that can take action onsite and fight back against intruders with strobe lights, sirens and shouts of warning.

Watch this intruder get turned away when remote guards flash strobe lights at him:

Contact Texas-based Pro-Vigil today to learn more about our construction surveillance services >>

2) Forewarned is Well Armed: Track Local Theft with “Google Alerts”
Always be prepared – especially when it comes to Houston construction thieves! You can receive warning of construction theft activity in your area by monitoring the web with a tool made by Google – Google Alerts. You simply tell it the locations and crimes you want to track and then it notifies you by email when these locations and crimes are written about online.

Google Alerts works by keeping track of certain “keywords.” If you’re tracking Houston construction crimes we recommend you copy and paste the following terms into the appropriate fields of Google Alerts:
Houston construction theft
Texas construction theft

Depending on your location you may also want to go regional by using these keywords in your Google Alerts:
Harris County Construction Theft
Pasadena Construction Theft
Katy Construction Theft
Cypress Construction Theft
Fort Bend County Construction Theft
Sugar Land Construction Theft
Stafford Construction Theft
Brazoria County Construction Theft
Pearland Construction Theft
Galveston County Construction Theft

If you have any trouble setting up your Google Alerts check out Google Alert’s FAQ page, as well as this article in ehow: How to Setup Google Alerts

3) Crack Down on Employee “Insider” Construction Theft
We see it time and again – insiders are a leading cause of construction theft on your jobsite. And why not? They know how the jobsite works and where you keep all the valuable equipment. You’ll never get all the thieves off your jobsite, but there are several things you can do to reduce the incidence of insider theft. First off you have to understand the thief’s rationale – if my boss/general contractor leaves these tools lying around he must be rich, therefore it won’t bother him if I steal. Second, we highly advise extensive background checks. One other method that should stop a great deal of employee theft is mandatory drug checks.

Here are several more ways to stop employee theft on your jobsite >>

4) Install Aggressive, No-Glare Construction Security Lighting
Lighting reduces construction site crime because it not only discourages prowlers but offers any neighbors or passers by and your monitoring service to see any suspicious activity… We also recommend that you use bright white light and position the lights so that they don’t shine glare out onto the street. Also it’s vital that you visit your jobsite at night to see what sort of opportunities there are for thieves to get comfortable in the shadows.

Learn more security lighting tips. Read 5 Security Lighting Tips For Your Construction Site >>

5) Establish an End of Day Jobsite Security Lockdown Routine
We highly recommend that you make someone solely responsible for security at your jobsite and make sure that they establish regular lockdown routines. When possible have them block in your valuable equipment so that it’s not easy to load up on a trailer. Further, make sure that they engage equipment in the ground when possible. Your security manager should be the last one to leave, and he must make a perimeter check to be sure that there are no easy ways for thieves to get onto your site.

Read more ideas for an end of day security routine >>

6) Analyze New Construction Jobs for Security Risk
Again, a night time drive by is vital for you to understand your full security risks. You should also research any controversy surrounding the particular job, ask the police about crime rates, layout the site to maintain high-visibility zones, and add high-visibility security devices like cameras and strobe lights mounted on poles.

We also recommend reading through How to Analyze Your Job Site’s Security Needs BEFORE the Job Begins >>

7) Exercise High Vigilance During Holidays and Vacations
Long weekends and holidays are times of high theft on jobsites. We recommend that you completely forbid jobsite activity during these times and make sure that your employees and subs understand that any visits after hours are legally unauthorized and will result in criminal prosecution. Further, consider unloading or removing any valuable trailers or mobile machinery.

For more tips on weekend and holiday security read 9 Ways to Stop Construction Theft During Holidays and Vacations >>

Helpful Houston Security Resources:
Google Alerts
Houston Police Department
Pro-Vigil Construction Surveillance Security