In isolated parts of the country, and specifically in rural locations, theft and break-ins are on the rise, with the cost-of-living crisis deemed to be a key contributing factor.
There appears to be a few main categories when it comes what exactly is being stolen from land/property owners.
- Equipment
- Machinery
- Fuel
Over the years, we’ve spoken about the vulnerability of vacant properties and the associated threats also apply to vacant land. For example, certain sites, such as farms, are isolated in nature and surrounded by acres of vacant land, leaving them particularly at risk of theft, but others are also at risk of being targeted.
There is similar risk for property developers, other landowners and construction companies so it’s important to understand the threats and how to mitigate them.
So, what can you do to ensure you’re protected?
Our experience has proved that prevention of break-ins and theft often starts at the perimeter and owned land is often fenced in, there is often little security in place to restrict entry in the wider rural area.
Consider the installation of CCTV towers which offer fence line detection, with 360 views, allowing you peace of mind that the land you own is being monitored with robust security measures.
In some instances, you may consider guarding, depending on the site itself or as an alternative, regular inspections of the property and surrounding land, to highlight any potential security risks. Inspections are particularly useful for properties or land which lay vacant for long periods of time. Construction sites, which are functional for a long period of time, and operating may consider fixed security measures. As we mentioned, CCTV (or CCTV Towers) and fencing can go a long way in detecting and preventing intrusion.
Should some form of intrusion be detected by CCTV, we can contact the relevant authorities and our team can be despatched to resecure the area within hours of a suspected break-in.
You may also consider alarms for areas where machinery is stored, whereas CCTV and fencing will be more effective in protecting the buildings themselves.
When entry is restricted to authorised individuals, it is easy for our ARC to determine where a break-in may be likely. If those working on the site are only there during certain hours, we can monitor after hours and ensure important assets such as fuel and equipment are protected.
With the cost of living on the rise, intruders have plenty of motivation to steal from vacant properties on isolated land and opportunists will likely target the properties or sites they deem to be the most vulnerable so don’t make it easy for them.
Get in touch today to discuss the measures you may want to consider for your vacant property/land and allow SPS to support you in protecting your assets in isolated areas.