GPS Tracking Continues to Get Results
With increased building activity we are steadily seeing an increase in building and construction industry theft. GPS tracking continues to be applied on high-risk items such as hot water units, ovens, hotplates, range hoods and air conditioners.
At 0041 hrs on February 22nd, a hot water unit with GPS tracking was removed from a BGC Building Group site in Lynwood.
Investigators tracked the hot water units to bushland in Riverton where it was recovered along with another stolen unit.
Evidence provided by the GPS tracking log allowed investigators to identify a possible offender, liaison with Cannington Police resulted in the suspect being interviewed and admitting to stealing both hot water units on the night.
The offender had previously been charged with theft of a hot water unit from a Riverton building site in April 2020 and was suspected of several other hot water unit thefts in the area.
At 1.27 am on March 24th PACT investigators received notification of a hot water unit, installed on a BGC Housing Group site in Armadale, had been moved. It was tracked to a close-by residential address in Gribble Avenue Armadale. GPS logs suggesting that the hot water unit had been ‘walked’ to the address.
On arriving at the address investigators observed a shopping trolley in the driveway, certainly the mode of transport from the building site.
Investigators liaised with Armadale police who immediately attended the address and located the stolen hot water unit. Whilst at the premises the officers noticed the offender had CCTV installed at his premises, a quick check of the footage provided police with evidence of the offender returning home at 2.26 am with the stolen hot water unit in his arms. An adult male was arrested and charged with stealing.
The property was recovered and returned to the building site for installation.
PACT investigators have been utilizing GPS tracking devices within the building industry for over 15 years and have a good understanding of the capabilities of GPS tracking of assets.
Although we have always operated a number of GPS devices as part of our theft reduction programs, WA’s largest builder, BGC Housing Group, certainly took the initiative back in 2018 when they purchased a significant number of their own GPS units.
The BGC Housing Group/PACT GPS tracking strategy has seen a significant reduction in the theft of high-risk assets for our members and, we believe, the entire residential construction sector. Many of the offenders are repeat offenders and continue to commit crime until caught.
PACT Site Security has deployed over 300 GPS tracking devices to PACT Site Security Members construction sites with over 20 person charges as a result. The reporting of crime continues to be paramount to the success of the strategy as it allows PACT investigators and Police to identify high crime locations and allocate resources, including GPS tracking, to these areas.
PACT manages GPS installation/removal, monitoring, activations, recovery, police liaison and if required, court appearances on behalf of our PACT members
If you work within the building and construction industry and you have problems with onsite theft, feel free to reach out to discuss how PACT Site Security can assist.