b'theft from occurring and even to lay charges in some circumstances, says Kaitlyn Boyle with Centric Investigation Services. Also, these measures act as a deterrent, setting a precedent among employees that theft, in any form, will not be tolerated.Still, its not enough to implement the latest security measures and hope for the best. Effective theft prevention, says Muc, requires daily vigilance: Once your site has been properly set up, maintenance is criticalbut often overlooked. When it comes to anti-theft measures like fences, for example, we see many sites where workers and subcontractors have taken apart the fence to gain access and have not reinstalled it properly. Once the site is exposed, it once again becomes an easy target for burglary.contractors. These are the types of thingsFurthermore, it pays to make consistent It pays to introduce jobsite policies thatthat only surveillance will uncover.monitoring a part of a projects daily hold crews accountable to ensure anti- activities and embedding the systems, theft measures have not been tamperedANTI-THEFT CULTURE procedures and communication channels with and that any deficiencies or issuesAs important as both physical and high- to keep everyone accountable. are being communicated during sitetech solutions are for combatting jobsite orientation. Moreover, its important totheft, they can be ineffective without theThere are benefits to having a more schedule regular checks of the jobsiteright policies, procedures and workforcesecure jobsite. In addition to preventing perimeter to ensure all other securityculture needed to drive them. Fosteringthe loss of high-value assets, contractors measures (e.g., cameras, motion-sensors,that culture includes building the bestwho implement anti-theft devices and tracking systems, locked areas, etc.) aretheft-prevention practices such asstrategies stand to reduce jobsite performing as expected. employee training and clearly defining roles and responsibilities when it comessetbacks, workforce tensions and As important as it is to defend a jobsiteto jobsite security. While technologyexpenses that result from insurance hikes against outside criminals, the threat ofand proactive measures are excellentand lost time. There is value in assessing internal employee theft must also bedeterrents, companies can still make ityour vulnerabilities, addressing the gaps considered. While physical items areeasy for employees to steal through lackand constantly keeping the threat of always a target, it is jobsite productivityof control, says Boyle.jobsite theft in your sights.itself that is often at risk. Although theft can occur in many formsproducts, intel, blueprints, information, client lists, plans, moneythe main target for internal thieves is time, says Boyle, noting the statistics show that the average employee steals five full work weeks of timeeach year. Here again, investing in video surveillance or even undercover investigators can be useful in helping employers address potential issues in advance and uncover the bigger picture. When conducting surveillance on an employee suspected of committing time theft, it is very common to uncover other types of theft occurring, notes Boyle. An example of this was surveillance we conducted on a site-supervisor suspected of committingSprint Mechanical Inc.time theft. Not only did we observe this50 Woodbine Downs Blvd, Toronto, ONM9W 5R2individual golfing during work hours everyPh: 416-747-6059day over three weeks, we also observedToll Free: 1-888-600-7995him abusing his company card bywww.sprintmechanical.compurchasing and re-selling tools to smaller BUILDERSDIGEST Quarter 3 201929'