Special Report
Construction crime continues to soar as the valuable materials, machinery and vehicles on sites prove alluring targets for casual and organized criminals.
High-value equipment can end up on the other side of the world within weeks of a theft, and with the massive level of construction around Chicago and Illinois, there are plenty of easy targets for gangs.
To better defend properties and equipment, site owners and managers are turning to rugged CCTV and AI applications to deter criminals, and speed the recovery of stolen machinery. And with $45 billion of new construction on the way, security needs to improve.
Rugged CCTV is required in the open and exposed conditions on most construction sites, but while the housing might be water, wind and cold-proof to industrial standards, the camera systems and software at the back end are getting smarter.
Improving Construction Site Security With Rugged CCTV
Alongside traditional anti-theft solutions like LoJack GPS trackers or property tags for vehicles, integrated systems such as fleet management software for construction that track vehicle usage and location in real time, smart dyes and forensic markers on high-value construction materials, and brute-force security like heavy chains and lockboxes, a layered approach can better defend any construction project, domestic or commercial.
That starts with strong fencing or walls with anti-climb coatings. Road blocks prevent unauthorized vehicle access, and powerful lighting systems can reduce the dark corners that many criminals will consider an easy access point.
Fixed and mobile ruggedized CCTV cameras can provide 24/7 feeds monitored by an AI system. The fixed cameras can focus on critical locations, with pan, tilt and zoom features to provide the best views in any conditions.
Within the site, mobile cameras can be moved around, in less obvious locations to add unpredictable coverage that can deter criminals, and catch on-site worker theft or unsafe behavior.
The AI-powered back-end can report incidents automatically, showing suspicious or unusual behavior to the on-site security team for investigation, providing imagery and video of key details to support their queries. The success of these systems depends heavily on how well the underlying control software is configured and integrated, similar to how control systems must be carefully implemented to avoid costly operational failures.
The AI can also track patterns and activity that can provide a more strategic security approach, like identifying the same vehicle making regular crawls around the site perimeter, or a group of people paying close attention to an access point.
The recordings of these details might lead nowhere, or help build up the bigger picture, providing valuable evidence should a crime occur.
The Changing Face of Site Security
The flexibility of rugged security cameras is changing to meet site needs. From large portable 360 cameras that cover large sites linked to third-party monitoring services through alarm receiving centers, any site can remain secure with a minimal on-site presence.
That’s ideal if something happens out of hours, or the site is in the early stages of development when there is not enough activity to warrant constant security, or it is limited to mobile patrols.
Ground and flying drones add a new layer of flexible security, able to investigate all areas of the site to check on unusual entry points. Some criminals still prefer to tunnel, use sewers, or other novel methods to gain access to sites. Many cameras provide audio feedback but might not be able to see the source of a regular noise, something drones can address.
In the era of AI and intelligent surveillance, this layered CCTV defense provides a flexible response to any suspicious activity. Third-party providers can recommend an optimal security system that benefits the business by ensuring site operations are safe and compliant with state safety laws.
Providing plenty of evidence in any situation, modern and rugged CCTV helps provide construction leaders with insights and information into site operations. CCTV supports compliance reporting needs and delivers advanced security that will deter the majority of criminals.
And as sites expand, move on and change, the level of CCTV can be adjusted to provide a cost and security optimized approach for each location.
Looking to the future, these CCTV systems will also link into other CCTV networks, and local or national databases. They could report stolen items automatically, generating alerts and providing insights and evidence to local, state and wider law enforcement agencies.
So, whatever your construction site size or need, investing in rugged and smart systems proves your worth as both a considerate employer, a good neighbor and one ready to face the rising tide of construction crime.
