The Enemy Within

PACT continues to work with its members to protect their assets and reduce on-site crime. After a significant increase in the theft of instantaneous gas hot water units across the metropolitan area, PACT investigators deployed multiple GPS tracking devices to high-crime areas, identified by the ongoing crime reporting through the PACT online reporting platform.

At 2223hrs on Saturday, 27/5/23, a device was activated on a member’s site in Helena Valley. A second device was activated at 1524hrs on Monday, 29/05/23, on a members site in Forrestdale, with the third and fourth devices activated at 0107hrs on Tuesday, 30/5/23, on two sites in Eglinton. PACT investigators maintained tracking on all four devices whilst gaining invaluable evidence, with one of the tracking devices travelling in excess of 300Klms over three days, whilst we continued to liaise closely with the WA Police Force.

Midland Detectives, Yanchep Police and Canning Vale Police executed search warrants on three residential addresses in Butler, Bullsbrook and Bull Creek, recovering over $10,000 of stolen property, including seven hot water units and one air conditioning unit.

Two of the offenders are currently working as trades within the building industry!

Four of the seven recovered hot water units, and the air conditioning unit will be returned to our members. Once again, due to the lack of industry reporting, three hot water units have not been identified to builders, an unfortunate issue that continues to allow the vast majority of onsite crime to go unchecked.

Unreported building industry crime is a growing concern, and steps must be taken to ensure that all white goods, including hot water units, are identified and reported when stolen. The recording of serial numbers assist in providing greater oversight and accountability, as well as helping to ensure that high-risk assets are accounted for and identifiable on recovery whilst making it increasingly difficult for criminals to sell/offload their ill-gotten gains.