May 2021 Building and Construction Crime Statistics

With the increased building and construction activity across the industry, our members have continued to see a decrease in reported crime. A total of 20 incidents of burglary, theft and damage were reported to Police in May. A 17% decrease in reports from the previous month and a 39% decrease from the 2020/21 monthly average.

6 x burglaries, 1 x attempted burglary, 9 x stealing, and 4 x damage incident were reported by PACT Members, with an additional 1 x suspicious activity and 12 x illegal rubbish dumping reports. Of the 33 reports, 2 were received from Land Developers, 2 from Civil Contractors, and the remainder from metro builders.

After a burglary in St James, where an offender stole all installed white goods, PACT investigators arranged a Police forensic examination at the site. As a result of the examination, Police identified a possible offender and executed a search warrant on the suspect’s home. Although no stolen property was located, the offender has been charged with burglary, and we will be seeking restitution for the stolen property.

A range hood, hotplate and hot water unit, all still in their boxes, were stolen from a BGC Housing Group site in Rockingham at 0410hrs on 30/4/21. It would appear the offenders had concerns with GPS tracking as they have hidden the property in bushland close by. PACT investigators located the property through GPS tracking of the goods and monitored them for several days. The property was eventually recovered in full and returned to the site after the offenders must have forgotten where they had hidden it or considered it too risky to collect.

New copper/scrap metal regulations commenced on December 1st 2020 (more information HERE). After no reports in December, we have continued to see reduced reporting volumes compared to the period before the regulation change. With the value of scrap copper reaching all-time highs of up to $10 per kilo, we would expect to see an increase in copper theft in the coming months. Members reported only 3 incidents for the month, 2 x copper cable and 1 x window frames, all from a single site in Cloverdale.

PACT Site Security continues to liaise with WA Police through our industry-based MOU. We provide our building industry members with a fast, efficient, and effective conduit to report crime, follow-up investigations and Police and local government liaison regarding crime and illegal rubbish dumping.

Ensure you report all building and construction theft and damage to assist the industry in reducing the impact of crime.

Builders, land developers and civil contractors can contact 1800 272 836 or go HERE to connect and discuss.