Vehicle GPS

 

Construction

  

“The criminal world has discovered a lucrative and growing market -- construction equipment”


According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, close to $1 billion a year is lost nationwide due to the theft of construction equipment and tools.

Despite the value of construction equipment and the direct impact equipment loss has on independent contractors, multi-million dollar contracting firms and the economy in general, few statistics are available that show construction equipment loss on the local, state or national level. Providing information of this type, GPS AnyPlace believes it may increase awareness of a growing problem at job sites nationwide.

Awareness by equipment owners may lead to preventive measures to reduce equipment losses and assist law enforcement in the ongoing fight against crime. During the 2002 calendar year, 17 states reported equipment theft.

In those 17 states, police reported, seven theft rings were disbanded with an approximate value of over $4 million additional equipment recovered. Three chop shops were also uncovered with equipment valued at approximately $3m.

If it's popular on the jobsite, it's popular in the chop shop. The equipment recovery data illustrates the most popular equipment for thieves. These 4 types of equipment represent 69% of thefts and recoveries.

When do thieves strike?

Weekends. About 37% of thefts are reported on Monday mornings when workers arrive on the construction site to find the equipment they parked on Friday afternoon gone. A quiet jobsite with little activity is a prime target for theft .... thieves realize the jobsite won't reopen until Monday, giving them a head start.

Who steals the equipment?

Professional thieves have discovered a lucrative new market .... construction equipment, reselling the equipment to unsuspecting contractors or chopping it into pieces and reselling the parts. If it's recovered, in what condition is the equipment? Shorter recovery times result in less damage to equipment

Where is equipment recovered?

Construction theft is a local issue. In more than 70% of cases, the stolen equipment never leaves the area; it is in storage or on a local jobsite. Construction theft is not confined to city streets and urban areas. Suburban regions where growth is prevalent and construction vehicles are at work on active jobsites, are high-risk areas.