Pro Vigil

Neighborhood security requires - above all else - community participation. You’re only as safe and secure as your neighbors make you, which is why true neighborhood security requires an organizer. If you are the neighborhood’s security organizer, on your HOA’s security board or simply a citizen determined to make your community safer this article presents tools, theories, concepts and tactics for bringing true safety to those who matter most - your family.

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
(more…)

Stopping catalytic converter theft has become an increasing part of our job at the Pro-Vigil live video surveillance headquarters. We’d like to put some of our crime fighting expertise to work for you. We put together this article to give you a brief overview of catalytic converter theft and then suggest 9 deterrents. Stopping catalytic converter theft is possible if you educate yourself and exercise proactive vigilance.

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.

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.

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.

When we started fighting copper theft on jobsites we never thought we’d become experts on the Chinese economy… It’s the strong Chinese economic growth that has copper demand so high and has pushed prices from under a dollar a pound five years ago to just around four dollars a pound today…



Economists predict that copper producers won’t have fully ramped up to meet demand until late 2009. This means that copper THEFT will continue through 2009. With copper prices so high, meth junkies continue to target unsuspecting jobsites and other operations for a quick copper score. Don’t let yourself be an easy target - fight copper thieves with these seven easy security tactics!

And if you have any questions about stopping copper theft please call us at 1 (866) 616-1318 or email info@pro-vigil.com to learn more.

1) Protect Yourself with Live Video Surveillance
Nothing stops a thief like flashing lights and an alarm. Adding live video surveillance to your jobsite or other areas of operation can stop copper theft entirely - especially if your security providers can call the police for you!



Learn more about Live Video Surveillance.

2) Visit Your Operations at Night
Nothing beats a nighttime visit to identify areas of vulnerability. Are there sections of your fence that fall into deep shadow? Are there any natural “safe zones” that are easily visible from the street and lit by preexisting light sources? Your night time visit will help you assess your operations the way a copper thief would.

3) Effective Security Lighting
Good lighting is vital to security - however if you over light your areas of operation you’ll create glare which is useful to thieves also. Direct light onto the specific areas you’re trying to protect rather than into the eyes of potential observers.

Read More about Security Lighting >>

4) Regularly Screen Your Employees
Conduct background checks on your potential new-hires and check your existing personnel regularly for drug abuse. Have a strict zero-tolerance policy and favor contractors and sub-contractors who do the same.

Read more about reducing employee theft >>

5) Build Effective Fences
Are your fences high enough - is there adequate signage that warns potential thieves that you prosecute to the fullest extent of the law? Your fences are the first and sometimes most effective psychological defense against copper thieves.

Read more about assessing the effectiveness of your security fence >>

6) Monitor the News for Local Copper Theft
It’s easy and free to set up a web-monitoring system with Google that notifies you by email any time someone mentions “copper theft” in your local area. If you’re wondering whether you need more copper theft security simply visit Google Alerts and start watching the web for advance notice.

Learn more about monitoring the web for advance theft notice >>

7) Establish an End-of-Day Security Routine
Whether it’s you or the person responsible for security at your operations someone needs to walk the site at the end of the day to make sure that everything is secure. Check that everything is locked, that there are no boxes or high weeds growing near fences, and that all security systems are armed.

Learn more about setting up an end of day security routine >>

8) Contact Pro-Vigil Today to Stop Copper Theft on Your Site!
Pro-Vigil is the industry leader in live video surveillance. When we place the Virtual Guard Station at your location our security guards stop theft by sounding alarms and calling the police when they spot criminal intruders. Learn more by calling Pro-Vigil today: 1 (866) 616-1318 or emailing us at info@pro-vigil.com.

Typically I write about job site security. Today’s post looks at your construction business security by way of tax tips for construction contractors from Grant Thornton.

Now, the article I found has 10 tips, but I’m only going to quote my top three. Please find a link to the rest of the article below.

(If you’re like me you might just want to print these out and bring them in to your accountant or CFO to see if he’s thought of these methods for saving money…)

“1) Consider establishing a separate entity to own and lease fixed assets used in your business. Often referred to as “leasing companies” or “procurement companies,” these entities help manage your assets and may significantly reduce your sales and use tax – a tax you collect and remit regardless of whether your company is profitable.

“2) Determine if your company has overpaid sales and use taxes. Most companies pay a substantial amount of money to suppliers and state tax authorities, but often overlook potential sales and use tax exemptions.

“3) Consider the benefits of restructuring your business (for example, by establishing a partnership to provide inter-company services), while at the same time potentially reducing state, local and unemployment tax liabilities.”

Read the full 10 tax tips for construction contractors.

…and be sure to secure your construction site from thieves and vandals. Let Pro-Vigil stop job site intrusion with 24/7 security personnel who monitor live digital video of your site and chase intruders off with sirens and strobes. Contact Pro-Vigil at 866.616.1318 today for a free security consultation today.

Thieves and vandals aren’t likely to send you an early warning note to let you know they’ll be stopping by. If you’re lucky though you CAN still get early warning… so long as your local area news has decent coverage of construction site theft.

Google offers a free “web band” scanner service called Google Alerts that monitors the news. All you have to do is tell them what terms to look for and give them your email address.

So, to get alerts about local construction site theft here are some suggestions for search terms to scan:

[your city] construction theft
[your city] construction vandalism
[your city] job site theft
[your city] job site vandalism
[your state] construction theft
[your state] construction vandalism
[your state] job site theft
[your state] job site vandalism

You might want to add another layer of monitoring by adding your county name into the mix as well. If you monitor Google alerts for at least those 8 terms you will keep abreast of all the construction theft and vandalism happening in your region.

Then, when theft or vandalism occurs in your region you’ll know you need to beef up your security. At this point, if you haven’t already, you should contact your local police to let them know about your construction site.

You could also let Pro-Vigil take over the monitoring and let us stop job site intrusion with 24/7 security personnel who monitor live digital video of your site and chase intruders off with sirens and strobes. Contact Pro-Vigil at 866.616.1318 today for a free security consultation today.
Resources:
Google Alerts News Monitoring
A Pre-Job Checklist That Improves Your Job Site Security
How to Analyze Your Job Site’s Security Needs BEFORE the Job Begins

I still get “sticker shock” every time I see how many dollars worth of value thieves steal from construction sites.

Even the relatively low-value thefts shock me, like this story from Buffalo NY in which thieves netted $2,400 worth of tools. That’s not much in the scheme of things, but the cost of their loss would have gotten them construction security from Pro-Vigil for almost two months.

From the story:
Police said the thief entered the construction site and stole two chop saws, a generator, two circular saws, two nail guns and a wheel barrow.

In Ontario, Canada construction site thieves stole over 15 thousand dollars worth of tools, including “a generator, a sledge hammer, and laser levels.”

These are the folks who become our customers… folks who get hit by thieves and decide they don’t want to have that experience a second time. We just wish we could get on their sites BEFORE they have that first theft but hey, education is expensive.

Construction security doesn’t have to be though…

Check out:
$2,400 worth of tools stolen from construction site
Construction theft near Wasaga

If the Associated General Contractor’s report is right, we’re set for a steep increase in construction costs for 2008 due to a rise in material costs and current problems in the credit markets.

Costs could rise as much as 8%… and you know that any increase in material costs will result in an increase in theft. Just look at what happened when the price of copper rose so dramatically.

To minimize material costs be sure that you implement construction site security before your job begins and not after you learn the hard way that meth heads got into your materials for tens of thousands of dollars plus down time.

To better prepare for rising costs here are a few resources that should get you thinking in the right direction:

AGC’s Construction Inflation Alert (PDF)

Cutting The Fat - Slow Down Survival Tips

Studies Reveal Reasons For Low Productivity