Summertime Construction Crime: How to Deter Jobsite Theft

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Summer construction season is undoubtedly upon us. For many construction pros, the end of spring means longer hours, more than enough hard work, and a-few-too-many heat waves to go along with it. It is hard to drive down a city block in the summer and not see some form of construction. More work means more jobsites, which means more places for potential thieves to target.

Thieves are drawn to the potential resale value of construction tools and equipment, treating jobsites with lax security as potential treasure troves. Luckily, there are two simple ways to deter thieves and make jobsites more secure.

Lock Up Everything

This goes without saying, but at the end of the work day every tool staying on-site should be in a locked container, all materials should be covered and stowed in a safe location, and any heavy equipment should be chained down. This might seem obvious like an obvious counter-measure, but it will be an effective one. Making thieves work hard to steal your stuff is a great way to keep it from being stolen at all.

Record Serial Numbers and Mark Your Tools

Sometimes, even well-protected equipment gets stolen, like in this case where a suspect managed to force their way into a secure trailer and get away with $6,000 worth of stolen goods. If the worst does happen and a thief takes off with a bunch of your tools, you might as well make life hard for them. Record the serial numbers of all of your tools so that if they do get stolen they will be easier for the police to track down. Marking up smaller tools with your name or the name of your company is another great way to make it harder for a thief to resell them.

But beyond all of that, remember that the kind of person willing to steal could be desperate and might even be armed with a weapon. No tool or piece of heavy equipment is worth your life.