Program aims to reduce theft of heavy equipment
With a set of construction fatigues and a hard hat, a wouldbe thief could walk onto a construction site unnoticed and steal a BobCat.
“They look like they are supposed to be in the area, wearing all the things you would see at a construction site ... They look the part, fit the part and they’ll come in and be driving off with your skid steer or loader,” said Acting Sgt. Trevor Henderson of the Edmonton police department.
The construction industry often leaves heavy equipment on-site and uses generic equipment with generic keys, making theft quick and easy.
For that reason, police are urging those in the industry to “tattoo their equipment”. Starting July 12, police will give away invisible-ink UV markers and removal-resistant paint markers to owners of heavy equipment. Police hope the pilot program will help curb the estimated 30-55 pieces of equipment stolen monthly.
“This started because we were seeing an increase in the number of thefts,” said Leila Daoud, a police communications adviser. “We heard about welding your name on a piece of a equipment, but it is more challenging ... these are cost-effective.”
Henderson said spray painting or marking heavy equipment is better than placing easily removable stickers.
“We are asking them to go the extra step and put something in marker that cannot be removed so easily; bad guys are lazy,” he said.
He said statistics show that thieves will avoid going for bright, unique equipment.
The paint acts as a deterrent, but also makes the equipment more distinguishable for police and witnesses.
Henderson said it is difficult to recover stolen heavy equipment, with rates running at about 10 per cent. It is a standard of the industry for one key to work with every vehicle of the same model.
“Everyone owns a pick up truck,” he said, explaining that a $25,000 piece of equipment like a BobCat could be easily loaded onto a truck. “You’re going to make a criminal think twice before he takes that unit because it is so marked up.”