Pro Vigil

Diesel fuel theft, along with diesel fuel prices, is at an all time high. Diesel theft is an international problem, with news of fuel theft coming in from Australia, the UK and New Zealand as well as across the US. With prices set to remain high it’s time for you to set up appropriate defenses.

This article first shows common practices and strategies of fuel thieves so you can easily detect your vulnerabilities. Then it outlines 6 ways to stop diesel fuel thieves before they start.

To stop fuel theft you must first get to know your enemy…

Who Do Diesel Thieves Target?
Diesel thieves target large fuel holdings, wherever those may be. From farms to gas stations to truck stops to construction sites to fleet vehicle parking lots you’ll find fuel thieves at work. Sometimes they target the gas tanks on heavy machinery and sometimes onsite fuel tanks. If there are large amounts of diesel fuel stored on your property then you’re at high risk for diesel fuel theft.

Common Targets:

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.

Why do people load up trucks right in front of the cameras? Maybe he thought because he was a subcontractor that he wouldn’t get caught, or that we weren’t really watching.

Either way, here’s a subcontractor on video stealing from his GC:


You may also be surprised to watch this video of a Lead Framer Busted Stealing Lumber.

For security advice be sure to read:
9 Ways to Stop Construction Theft During Holidays and Vacations
and
Reducing Employee-Driven Job Site Theft

Copper prices remain over $3.50 a pound, and diesel fuel prices are already over $5 a gallon in California. Your construction site is like a free ATM for thieves and this article will help you lock it down, especially over holidays and work breaks. Don’t get hit by theft again!

Quick Check Resources:
Current Diesel Fuel Prices
Check Current Copper Prices
7 Ways to Stop Copper Theft on Your Jobsite

If you already have Pro-Vigil’s live video surveillance on your site then these ideas will add an extra layer of security while you’re on vacation. Be sure to send this article to your unprotected friends and colleagues!

1) Disable and Defensively Park Machines You Leave On Site
There are a number of safe and simple ways to disable vehicles you leave on your site. You can remove tires and disconnect batteries, for example. Further, parking high-target vehicles inside a ring of lesser-value vehicles makes them harder to steal.

Also see:
Job Site Security: Establish Your End-of-Day Routine

2) Don’t Leave Trailers Loaded
If you’re storing equipment or materials on trailers you leave yourself open to thieves who cut through the trailer or simply hitch the trailer up to their own vehicle. Consider removing the hitch or putting the trailer up on jacks if you have no alternative.

Also see:
Secure Jobsite Boxes: 4 Key Features to Look For

3) Limit Weekend or Vacation Site Visits
Can you stop weekend or vacation-day visits all together? Over and over the thieves we catch are insiders and sub contractors who SEEM to have every right to be on the site. Forbid vacation access to your construction site so that ANYONE on site will be treated as unauthorized.

4) Walk or Drive Your Perimeter
Are all the gates locked? Is your fence intact through the entirety of your perimeter? These last minute checks before weekends and vacation time can help you spot potential problems. Be sure to hand check all locks - make sure someone didn’t just turn a lock in place without fastening it completely.

Also See:
How Secure is Your Construction Security Fence? 11 Questions to Ask
5 Security Lighting Tips For Your Construction Site

5) Conduct Inventory So You Know Exactly What’s There
Having a complete jobsite inventory will help you in the event of a break in. This way you can provide complete serial numbers and product quantities to the proper authorities. Live video surveillance could prevent the theft in the first place.

6) Spread Word About Your Security to Employees and Subs
Let it slip to subs and your employees that you have taken special security precautions. Be sure to have a reward program in place and make sure that you mention it on a regular basis. Never underestimate the power of buzz among your subs and employees. If they know you mean business you will stop more theft.

Also see:
Reducing Employee-Driven Job Site Theft

7) Take Precaution Against Diesel Fuel Theft
Diesel fuel is well over $4.50 in most states, and over $5 in California. These high prices put your fuel-burning vehicles at risk for fuel theft. Keep fuel tanks facing the street or your surveillance cameras. Make it easy for people to keep an eye on your gas tanks.

8) Post Appropriate Security Signage
A big part of security is simply informing potential thieves about your defenses. Your signs should include emergency numbers, the amount of reward you offer and warnings about your surveillance or other security measures. Is English the main language spoken on your site? Consider bilingual signage.

9) Notify the Neighbors
Are there businesses that look in on your jobsite? Offer their employees a reward if they spot someone entering your site unlawfully. This is especially effective if you’ve mandated a non-entry policy for the weekend or during vacations.

Also see:
How to Analyze Your Job Site’s Security Needs BEFORE the Job Begins

Outside Resources:
Farmers, contractors issued warning about holiday weekend equipment theft

The majority of thefts at car dealerships fall into one of three categories. This article identifies the three primary types of thieves and then offers security suggestions that will help you stop theft at your dealership.

We hope you find this article useful, and that you explore our live video surveillance offerings for car dealerships and contact us for more information.



1) Local “Opportunity” Auto Thieves
Local opportunity thieves live in your area. They are often auto-theft first timers who identify possible theft opportunities at your dealership. They are “in” the criminal community enough to be able to resell the stolen cars quickly. They are more likely to be caught through their ineptitude and inexperience.

2) Organized Mobile Theft Operations
Mobile theft operations travel around your region - and often the entire country - probing for dealerships with lax security. These are professionals well connected to the black market infrastructure and often ship stolen cars overseas. They strike quickly and get in and out.

3) Insider Auto Theft
Employees are often found guilty of auto theft - they know your dealership’s vulnerabilities better than anyone and have access to files that they can use to cover their tracks. Also your employees can have connections to professional or local thieves and offer them tips and advice in exchange for payoff after the theft.

Though thieves are often well organized, well equipped and well trained, there are many ways you can protect your dealership. To increase the security at your auto dealership we suggest the following twelve tactics.

1) Security Accountability
First and foremost make auto dealership security a primary responsibility for someone at your dealership. If there’s no one accountable - or if the person accountable is over burdened with other jobs - your security will suffer. Give this person proper authority to investigate, question, research and devise security measures for your dealership. Have them conduct night-time drive bys to see how well your systems are working.

2) Auto Dealership Live Surveillance
Live video surveillance covers your dealership with a guard’s watchful eye. Traditional video security only records thieves and leaves you to pick up the pieces the next morning. Live video surveillance puts guards in action at the first signs of unlawful intrusion.

3) Pro-Active Alarms
A traditional alarm system only goes off when triggered by intruders. A pro-active alarm gets triggered by guards watching through your live surveillance system. Whichever you choose, an alarm can be a powerful theft prevention measure.

4) Barriers
Many auto dealerships use “blockers” to restrict access in and out of their lot. Blockers are vulnerable to ramming. Some dealerships use military-grade barriers that cause death to thieves trying to drive through them. Installing a fence or building walls can further improve the strength of your lot’s perimeter.

5) Law Enforcement Communications
Do you know the names of your local police? You or your security employee should be on a first name basis with the police who patrol your area. This not only improves relations but could give you some inside insight into thefts happening in your area.

6) Community Communication
If you happen to be near a residential area consider having your security employee go door to door and introduce himself to your neighbors. Often times the community is the first responder to suspicious activity. If you’re in a commercial area introduce yourself to local businesses anyway - you never know where security tips and warning may come from. This will plug you into any other types of crime happening locally.

7) Theft Awareness
We recommend to our clients that they read the local news papers regularly for stories about theft. Google provides a service that will scan local newspapers for you. It’s called Google Alerts. You have to feed it words that it will monitor the news for. We suggest you use words like: [your city] auto theft, [your county] auto theft, [your state] auto theft. These stories could give you advance warning of traveling car thieves.

8) Inventory Control
One of the best inside-theft deterrents is inventory control. Assess the system you have in place now. Think about ways you could cover up car theft at your dealership. If you’re unable to implement a new inventory control system at this time, brainstorm with your security employee for ways to add redundancy to the system.

9) Security Lighting
The science of security lighting includes putting enough clear white light to see everything on your lot without creating glare. Position your lights so that there are no blind spots. A good rule of thumb is that you should be able to identify a face at 30 feet.

10) Security Warning Signage
Just like it’s important to advertise to potential customers you have to advertise to potential thieves. Installing security signage that tells thieves that they’re under constant surveillance or that you have a pro-active alarm system helps stop theft.

Remember, it’s vital first and foremost that someone be made accountable for stopping theft at your auto dealership. Having a smart, capable person take sole responsibility is the most important investment. We also highly recommend live video surveillance as a pro-active means of stopping theft before it starts.

For more information about our live video surveillance for auto dealerships - and how it can help you sell more cars with pre-recorded advertisements, please contact us at 866.616.1318 or info@pro-vigil.com.