If you have any questions about any of the tactics or strategies presented here please feel free to contact us at info@pro-vigil.com. If you’d like more information on protecting your neighborhood with live video surveillance please call us at (866) 616-1318 or visit our contact page.

Table of Contents:
1) Institute or Revitalize Your Neighborhood Watch
2) Provide Adequate Security Lighting
3) Upgrade Your Guards and Cameras: Live Security Surveillance
4) Understand Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design
5) Form Up Community Citizen Patrols
6) Post Appropriate Security Notification Signage
7) Organize Daytime, Neighborhood-wide Activities
8) Monitor Your Local News Feeds
9) Evaluate Your Gate: How Secure Does it Really Make You?
10) Provide Basic Home Security Education to Your Neighbors

1) Institute or Revitalize Your Neighborhood Watch
The National Sherif’s Association reports that almost 80% of first responders to neighborhood crime are your neighbors. Crime simply can’t take root in an alert and cooperative neighborhood. When neighbors join together, meet regularly, and learn proactive and vigilant security habits crime decreases. Whether you’re a concerned neighbor or on your HOA’s neighborhood safety and security committee your first step should be either instituting or evaluating a neighborhood watch. We recommend the Neighborhood Watch Toolkit Training series as a great place to learn the tactics and techniques of a powerful neighborhood watch.

2) Provide Adequate Security Lighting
Areas of heavy darkness and shadow provides a welcome mat to thieves and vandals. Drive through your neighborhood at night and look for zones of shadow near houses and especially near entry and exit points in your community. Accent lighting for landscape and architectural highlighting is often enough to make homes safer. Be sure that you have a 100 foot zone of visibility around your home that’s bright enough to identify faces and colors. Entry points and walkways are especially important to keep well lit. Installing adequate street lighting throughout the neighborhood and especially on dark corners and zones of “getaway” make it easier for alert citizens to report suspicious activity they see. Lighting at entry points and areas near the main road also deters criminals from “staging” themselves there for an operation. For more general strategies on security lighting see 5 Security Lighting Tips For Your Construction Site.

3) Upgrade Your Guards and Cameras: Live Security Surveillance
Guards are a very expensive way to do very little for your neighborhood security. 24 hour guard service - by guards paid $10 an hour - will cost you at least $87k. That does not include the security guard agency’s profits. Outsourced video surveillance - installing wireless video cameras that transmit video to off-site security guards - delivers far greater neighborhood coverage at a potentially far lower cost. When the off-site guards detect suspicious activity they can call the police and alert designated security officials in your neighborhood. Unobserved video camera surveillance can be helpful after a criminal incident, but adding outsourced monitoring delivers far more effective and proactive security that actually stops crime before it happens. Live video surveillance is excellent for keeping vandals out of the pool after hours as this video shows… Learn more about live security surveillance.

4) Understand Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design
Crime prevention through environmental design is quite simple, really. According to CPTED-Watch.com, crime prevention through environmental design is, “design that eliminates or reduces criminal behavior and at the same time encourages people to “keep an eye out” for each other.” Further, the site states that “in some CPTED communities, criminal activity has decreased by as much as 40 percent.” The basic tenets include keeping any intruders easily visible, reinforcing boundaries through fencing and landscaping, discouraging public access to private areas and improving things like locks on windows and doors. You can learn more about crime prevention through environmental design at CPTED-Watch.com. Wikipedia provides an interesting history of CPTED that provides more depth and theory. Find areas in your neighborhood that could benefit from CPTED and make real changes that provide a real security difference.

5) Form Up Community Citizen Patrols
As an addition or evolution of your community watch program consider partnering closely with your local law enforcement agency and forming up regular community patrols by neighbors. Find and authorize people willing to volunteer an hour a week for a drive through the neighborhood with a cellphone at the ready. Make sure these patrols are well trained, unarmed and that the patrol members understand how to stay safe in the case that they detect suspicious or unlawful activity going on. A citizen patrol group can even coordinate with neighbors who are on vacation to provide an extra level of security. The National Association of Citizens on Patrol website can provide you with the templates for starting your own citizen patrol program.

6) Post Appropriate Security Notification Signage
Once you have implemented a security program in your neighborhood you can increase its effectiveness by posting signs that educate potential thieves about your defenses. This signage must be large, clear in its message and posted throughout your neighborhood. It serves as a powerful psychological reminder that your neighborhood knows how to defend itself.

7) Organize Daytime, Neighborhood-wide Activities
Community events encourage natural feelings of neighborliness - and communicate to outsiders that a neighborhood has solidarity. Neighborhood clean up events remove the little bits of garbage and vegetation overgrowth that subtly tells thieves that an area is not well guarded. Monthly clean up volunteers can tackle regular maintenance issues as well as potential vegetation overgrowth or waste that provides cover for criminals. A neighborhood that keeps clean is less likely to seem like a good target to thieves.

8) Monitor Your Local News Feeds
It’s easy in this digital age to plug into a flow of news that pertain to crimes in your vicinity. Google offers a free “web band” scanner service called Google Alerts that monitors the news for you. All you have to do is tell them what terms to look for in news stories and give them your email address.

For example, try monitoring for these terms:
[your city and state] theft
[your city and state] vandalism

If you notice a series of car break-ins in your area then communicate that to your neighbors through a security-related email list so they can be extra vigilant. You may need to tweak the terms in order to separate the wheat from the chaff, but there’s nothing like monitoring the news to alert you to potential threats.

9) Evaluate Your Gate: How Secure Does it Really Make You?
Gated communities provide a much higher sense of security, but do they provide a real decrease in criminal activity? In some cases, yes - for a short time. If you want to determine how safe the gates in your community really keep you here are a few questions to ask. What is your community’s policy on “tail gating” or double entry? If your community is lax about double entries then thieves will have an easy time entering. Is there a guard at the gate or is it automated? Guards are more expensive but they also provide a higher level of security at the critical entry and exit point of your neighborhood. If there is a guard, how much does he or she make an hour? Your security is only as good as the people you hire. What is your neighborhood policy on allowing in service professionals and delivery people? As soon as security codes pass from residents to non-residents your neighborhood security is compromised.

10) Provide Basic Home Security Education to Your Neighbors
You’d be surprised how lax most people are about the most basic security habits. Locking front doors is an alien concept to some people. Bringing in your local law enforcement to lead a seminar on basic home security can be a great way to both educate and bring together your neighbors. Also there is a wealth of information available online that will help you to educate your neighbors about the best ways to protect themselves.

Much of the information in this particular article is too “high level” to be of interest to the average home owner or resident, so we’ve assembled a short list of home security education resources for you to pass along.

How To Prevent Burglary
Notes From a Home Burglary Prevention Seminar by Plano Police
Burglary Protection Tips
Burglary Prevention Advice

More Resources for Security Organizers:
USA on Watch: Neighborhood Watch Program
National Association of Citizens on Patrol
Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design
Neighborhood Watch Toolkit Training
Prevention of Crime: An Overview of Gated Communities and Neighborhood Watch
Gated Community Security

Whatever brought him to the pool after hours he sure doesn’t stick around for long when Pro-Vigil’s lights flash:

Would you like increased pool security in your neighborhood? Please call us at (866) 616-1318 or visit our contact page and send us an email.

4 Quick Facts About Catalytic Converter Theft:
>> Catalytic converters sell for ~$40-$200 each.
>> They cost ~$1000 to replace.
>> CC thieves are known to strike in broad daylight, in busy areas.
>> SUVs and other vehicles with high clearance are especially vulnerable.

What Makes a Catalytic Converter so Valuable?
There are three types of metals that help the catalytic converter remove toxins from the vehicles’ emissions: platinum, palladium and rhodium. The prices of these already valuable metals has shot up hundreds of dollars an ounce in recent years. It’s the tiny amounts of these metals on the screens inside the catalytic converter that makes them so valuable.

Tools of the Catalytic Converter Thief:
Stealing a catalytic converter takes either a wrench or a reciprocating saw. In some cases we’ve seen thieves using mechanics dollies to slide under vehicles more easily. We’ve heard of, but not verified, thieves attaching chains to converters and “hauling” the converter out with a truck.

How Long it Takes to Steal One:
About 3 minutes. That’s to either unbolt it or use the reciprocating saw to cut it out. Good thieves are even faster.

How Catalytic Converter Thieves Work:
The occasional or “opportunity” catalytic converter thieves go prowling when their drugs wear off. They look for easy steals - SUVs are favorite targets. Toyota SUVs especially because their catalytic converters are only bolted on. Sometimes they even follow cars and wait for them to park. These are often the ones who strike non-business targets and they go on sprees of theft that last several hours or sometimes days.

The more organized catalytic converter thieves look for larger scores. They attack car dealership lots, the parking lots at auto repair shops, auto fleet parking locations, and poorly attended parking lots. They are better equipped, faster, and work as teams to make larger scores. These are the crews more likely to steal from businesses and larger organizations with higher concentrations of vehicles.

9 Ways to Deter Catalytic Converter Theft:

1) Defensive Parking
If you have a fleet of vehicles block the high-clearance vehicles with your low clearance vehicles. The goal here is obstructing access underneath the vehicle. At the very least you want to slow the thieves down as much as possible so that your other security measures have time to effectively respond.

2) Effective Security Lighting
Lighting is vital to reducing catalytic converter theft. Though the opportunity thieves are getting bold enough to strike in busy areas in broad daylight, the more organized thieves won’t be so brazen. They are more professional and bit more risk averse. Good security lighting makes your vehicles visible to the street without creating glare.

3) Live Video Surveillance
For some businesses it will make sense to install video cameras and employ live surveillance specialists to monitor for catalytic converter theft. If your live surveillance specialists are authorized to call the police on your behalf you can stop catalytic converter theft before it happens, potentially saving yourself the cost of damage to your vehicles.

4) Monitor Your Local News
The less organized opportunity thieves fall into quickly recognizable patterns in local areas. Monitor your local news using Google alerts. Monitor terms like ["your city/region" catalytic converter]. This will give you an idea of when there are catalytic converter thieves in high activity in your area.

5) Spread Community Awareness
If you hear about catalytic converter theft through Google alerts or even suffer the theft of a catalytic converter from your vehicle then consider getting the word out in some way to others in your area. The opportunity catalytic converter thieves often strike locally and repeatedly in their crime spree. Call your friends and associates in the area, knock on the doors of your neighbors and post fliers. Even send people this article - there will be something in it that will save them the cost of a repair.

6) Fencing Around Your Vehicles
Fencing will deter the occasional/opportunistic catalytic thieves and it will slow down the more organized thieves so that your other security measures such as live video surveillance can respond. We wrote at length about security fencing for construction sites, which has some great tips for effective security fencing in general.

7) Welded Bolts
If your catalytic converters are “bolt on” you can have the bolts welded shut. This is only a deterrent to the lowest grade of catalytic converter thief though - the one who works only with a wrench. Still, in some cases it might be enough of a deterrent to help prevent a theft.

8) Catalytic Converter Protective Sleeves
Protective coverings for your catalytic converter, such as the device known as the “Catclamp,” can deter thieves as well. The Catclamp and competitor Catcuff makes it much more difficult for the reciprocal saw wielding thief to steal your converter. They are somewhat pricey though, and if you’re operating a fleet of vehicles or an auto dealership it won’t be cost effective. They are great for owners of one or two cars.

9) ID# Etching
Etching your converter with a serial number will help the police to track your converter after it’s stolen. This will not protect you from theft, but it could help to catch the thieves preying on your neighborhood’s vehicles.

Other Security Resources:
Stop Diesel Theft: 6 Ways to Prevent Diesel Fuel Thieves
3 Types of Auto Dealership Thieves + 10 Ways to Stop Them
Copper Theft Combat: The Top 7 Ways to Stop Copper Thieves
Reducing Employee-Driven Job Site Theft
9 Ways to Stop Construction Theft During Holidays and Vacations

We hope this article helps you to save the loss of time and money that comes from the criminal acts of others. If you have any questions about stopping catalytic converter theft at your business or organization please contact us at info@pro-vigil.com or by phone (866) 616-1318.

Vehicle Fleets

Farms With Diesel Fueled Irrigators and Other Equipment

Construction Sites

Gas Stations

Semi Trucks

How Do Diesel Thieves Work?
Diesel thieves require a truck with a big tank and siphoning equipment. Note that siphon pumps are readily available at big box hardware stores. There are reports of specially equipped pick-ups with professionally hidden fuel storage tanks and siphon pumps that run off of the engine. They just drop their hose into a fuel tank and let it run. When they are filled up they roll in their hose and drive away. There are also reports of thieves cutting fuel lines and drilling directly into fuel tanks too. As you can see from their tactics, they are often quite reckless with their own lives.

Fuel thieves typically assess opportunities during the day time, so be on the lookout for loiterers and strangers straggling through your property. They often strike at night.

Who Buys the Stolen Fuel?
To drive this black market economy you need buyers. It’s rumored - and this is entirely rumor - that it’s often truckers who buy stolen fuel. This will not always be the case, but it makes sense. Thieves have to keep sales in mind and will probably strike areas near highway diesel fueling stations and truck stops. If you operate in these areas you may be especially vulnerable to theft.

6 Ways to Stop Fuel Theft
Now that we’ve gotten to know the enemy and how he operates, here are some tips for stopping him before he ever gets the chance to dip his hose in your fuel tank. We highly recommend our live video surveillance to stop fuel thieves, though you can read on for more suggestions.

1) Inventory Includes Your Diesel Fuel: Measure It!
Having a complete inventory for your operation helps you know when theft occurs. If you haven’t started counting your gallons of fuel as inventory then start today. Make sure that vehicle usage records line up with fuel usage. If not, you could have an employee who’s siphoning off a little bit every day.

2) Defensive Parking
If you operate a fleet of vehicles then consider using these defensive parking methods. Park so that your fuel tanks are easily visible from the street OR your live surveillance cameras. If you have large fleets, park them so that their fuel tanks are inaccessible.

3) Locking Fuel Caps and Anti-Siphoning Deterrents
There are many after-market products that can make the fuel tanks on your vehicles less vulnerable. Conduct a few web searches and you will turn up hundreds. These won’t stop all thieves, but they send the strong signal that you’re aware that fuel thieves exist.

4) Good Security Lighting
Good security lighting doesn’t send a glare out to observers from the street. Instead, it lights your defended areas like a stage so that passers by, neighbors and the police can see in easily. Park your vehicles with their gas tanks clearly in the radius of your lighting. Alternately, be sure that your fuel pumps are well lit and easily visible from the road.

For more about security lighting read: 5 Security Lighting Tips For Your Construction Site

5) Strong Fences Around Generators and Fuel Pumps
You should absolutely have strong perimeter fencing around your operation. However, you should also consider a secondary fence internally around your fuel pumps. Fences don’t slow down determined thieves too much, but they do send a clear psychological message that the fuel will be hard to access.

For more about security fences read: How Secure is Your Construction Security Fence? 11 Questions to Ask

6) Post Appropriate Security Signage
If you have live video surveillance - or any other form of security service - post signs that lets everyone know that they are being watched. If you have any theft rewards then post signs about those too. Displaying outward signs of security is one of the most effective forms of security.

And remember, nothing stops fuel thieves like Pro-Vigil’s live video surveillance! Contact Pro-Vigil today for free security consultation: info@pro-vigil.com, 866.616.1318.

Learn more about Pro-Vigil or contact us by email - info@pro-vigil.com or phone 866.616.1318 to learn more about how we can stop theft on your property.

Watch some of our other arrest videos:
Romantic Walk on Jobsite Interrupted
Lead Framer Busted Stealing Lumber
Police Catch Jobsite Intruder Who Ignores Strobes and Sirens