Construction sites are notoriously difficult to secure and are prone to theft and vandalism. In fact, it’s been estimated that these crimes cost the industry upwards of millions of dollars each year.
While there is no centralized, accurate, or comprehensive database of all construction equipment losses, annual estimates of the cost of equipment theft according to the National Equipment Register (NER) range from about $300 million to $1 billion, with most estimates in the range of $400 million.
According to a 2016 report from the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) and the National Equipment Register,
“Although complete statistics do not exist, it is clear from available data that equipment theft is a serious problem. Estimates derived from data in this year’s report suggest the total value of stolen equipment in 2016 is close to $300 million. Those numbers do not include losses from business interruption, such as short-term rental costs, project-delay penalties, and wasted workforce and management time. By frequency of loss, theft is a greater problem than any other type of equipment risk.”
The report’s summary goes on to note that, not surprisingly, most thefts are from work sites with little or no security and that law enforcement recovers as little as 20 percent of stolen tools and equipment.
The Need for “Beefing Up” Construction Site Security
One of the significant findings in the NICB/NER report was that, due to the lack of surveillance of equipment, thieves feel more confident when committing crimes. The top five states for construction site theft were:
- Texas
- North Carolina
- Florida
- California
- and Georgia
However, the single most prevalent common factor for all states experiencing construction site theft was a significant lack of security measures in place.
The available – and practical – security options available to contractors are limited. Hiring a live security guard presence each night can be wildly cost-prohibitive, for example. However, there are a number of steps that most contractors and project managers can take to help reduce the likelihood of work site theft.
Here are a few of the most recommended:
- Increased Lighting: A well-lit construction site is one of the most important steps to implement.
- Fencing and “No Trespassing” Signage: A temporary fence with a locking gate and a height of at least 8 feet makes it difficult for thieves to climb.
- Secure Materials and Equipment: Anchor larger pieces of equipment in place with chains or cables and make sure any keys are removed. If possible, remove or disable hitches.
- Implement GPS Technology: Improve your recovery odds by using GPS-tracking and geofencing technology to create a digital perimeter around the jobsite.
- Install a Surveillance System: Make it obvious that your construction site is being monitored by placing security cameras at the jobsite.
While these are all commendable security tactics that should be implemented, there is still an advanced and affordable security surveillance solution that construction sites can benefit greatly from.
AI Video Surveillance Solution: Superior Construction Site Security
It’s been shown that the visible presence of security cameras act as a passive deterrent to criminals. In addition, posting signage signifying that security cameras are in use adds another layer of deterrence, as well.
However, traditional and typical video surveillance systems are static and passive. While they can record acts of theft or vandalism, they can do nothing actively to prevent them. But the addition of smart technology, or artificial intelligence (AI) to a video surveillance system can transform a passive camera system into an interactive system that can provide real-time intervention.
This Is what the proprietary smart security monitoring system offered by Blue Eye achieves for construction sites and other facilities. By using AI-enhanced technology, our system can monitor video feeds in real-time to identify suspicious events, activities, and specific behaviors.
And, once a threat or breach has been identified, our highly-trained operators can verbally interact through an on-site speaker system to deter trespassers or thieves from continuing their course of action while alerts are generated and sent to the local police or security team.
Secure Your Construction Site with Blue Eye
AI video surveillance monitoring is an optimal solution that provides the deterrence and intervention that can provide the enhanced security you need and at a cost-effective price. Best of all, it provides all the comprehensive coverage and benefits that video technology offers.
AI-enhanced video means the ability to issue audio warnings, which prevents or deters crime and reduces the risk of false alarms. In addition, our AI technology can reduce the time needed for surveillance.
A security video monitoring solution is preferable to most any other practical solution in most security situations. But existing security video technology still falls short of an optimal solution, which is why other costly measures are still added many times.
However, an optimal solution would be a security video system that gives you the best security benefits without disadvantages.
Blue Eye offers a solution that provides just that. And at a surprisingly affordable price.
Our solution is an AI-empowered managed service platform that requires no up-front capital costs. Give us a call at 855.258.3662 or email us at [email protected] and let us design an effective solution for your business!