Construction industry crime trends and the role of enhanced security measures

The Ubiquity of Crime Across Industries

Every industry faces crime. Financial businesses often deal with fraud, the retail world battles shoplifting, and digital companies face clever malware. The construction sector isn’t free from these troubles. There are certain crime trends especially seen in this industry. We, at Stok K9 Security Services, aim to understand these trends deeply.

A Glimpse at Crime Trends Over The Past Century

In the UK, how crime looks and feels has evolved over the past hundred years. A big reason is the growth in technology available to criminals. For some perspective, during the 1960s, each year had about one million crimes. But, by the 1980s, this number had jumped to 3.5 million crimes every year. It’s important to say that the way people report crimes and how they are recorded might have influenced these numbers. But, one thing is clear: crime rates have been going up.

The Construction Sector: A Prime Target

The construction sector has always been attractive to criminals. Why? Because it offers many chances for wrongdoing. Right now, certain crime trends are more popular in this sector. And, in recent years, more people have been asking for construction site security services than ever before.

Common Crimes in the Construction Sector

Theft and Vandalism

Theft is a big issue in the construction industry. For years, criminals have seen construction sites as treasure troves. Why? Because these sites have lots of valuable things, like machines and materials, which can be sold for a good amount of money. People believe that thefts from UK construction sites add up to a huge £800 million every year. Rising costs of machines and the growing price of metal, combined with not many stolen items being returned, make this problem even bigger.

Vandalism, on the other hand, might not cost as much as theft, but it’s still a pain. A study in 2016 by the Chartered Institute Of Building (CIOB) revealed that 91% of the companies they asked had faced some kind of vandalism.

Assault and Intimidation

It’s sad, but construction workers often feel threatened or even get attacked by people who shouldn’t be on the site. Especially when there’s no security around. As thieves get bolder, it’s really important to have some kind of security to keep them away. We believe having guards, like dog handlers, can be a good idea. Because if you stop intruders from entering, there’s no chance for things to turn violent.

The Hidden Crimes in Construction

Organised Crime and Its Effects

Sadly, organised crime in the construction world has gone up lately. One big issue is illegal trafficking. Why is the construction industry a target? It’s seen as a safe bet for criminals. There’s a rise in fake construction skills cards, and some groups might be earning up to £60,000 a week from sneaky construction deals. In 2018, a study showed that half of the migrant workers in construction didn’t have proper contracts or the right skills to be safe at work.

So, how can security help with this? It’s all about being clear and stopping these shady actions. By hiring a trusted security company, like ours, these dodgy deals can be kept out.

Cybercrime in Construction

You might think cybercrimes are just for techy businesses, but construction is seeing more and more of them too. Building projects have lots of people working together and trust is super important. They need to share information safely and quickly. If someone hacks this info, not only can it slow down the work, but it also ruins trust. Attacks on computers, like phishing, ransomware, and viruses, are becoming more common in construction.

While construction sites usually focus on having guards, dogs, and cameras, they should also think about their online safety. It’s good news that more and more construction companies are spending money to stay safe online.

Need Help with Security?

After the challenges of this past year, keeping construction sites safe is top priority. If you want to learn about how we can help keep your site safe, call us! You can reach Stok K9 Security Services at 0800 002 5761 or email us at info@stokk9services.com.