Copper, lead, aluminum and steel are all metals that are high in demand and likely to be present in your property. Find out how to protect your vacant and vulnerable building against this.
Whilst many metals are facing a supply shortage, the demand is only increasing and vacant properties often have an open opportunity to profit from this themselves.
But why are vacant and vulnerable buildings popular for this?
Why Are Vacant and Vulnerable Buildings Prone to Metal Theft?
Due to their lack of occupancy, vacant and vulnerable buildings already face increased risks of theft, vandalism and intrusion.
However, with metal prices continuing to rise, this has not gone unnoticed by thieves, and you may be surprised to know that your vacant or vulnerable building could become the next target for this.
Many elements and appliances within your property have high-value metal involved with them, and where properties are left vacant, this increases their vulnerability to unwanted visitors.
Without the presence of any occupants, vacant and vulnerable buildings often lack security which other property types such as offices, retail stores and event spaces do not offer.
Although other commercial property where stock is present might provide more lucrative profits for thieves, easier targets are often more appealing.
Especially as metal prices rise, vacant and vulnerable properties are growing targets. Their lack of security and chance of gaining higher rewards than previously provided mean the likelihood your property could fall victim to this are steadily increasing.
But, what specific threats do vacant and vulnerable buildings face with metal theft?
Commonly Stolen Metal Types From Vacant and Vulnerable Buildings
Within properties, there will be various metals utilised within different areas such as plumbing, kitchen appliances and in the framework and support beams of the building.
However, generally there are some key metal types thieves tend to identify and look to remove from your property:
Copper
Copper prices have been steadily increasing over recent years and is one of the most in demand metals in the UK, especially with thieves.
You can find copper in various areas of a property including, plumbing, wiring, cables, roofing, heating systems and other household appliances.
Most vacant and vulnerable buildings will have all the above elements available to thieves, making copper theft one the biggest threats regarding your property.
It’s expensive to replace and becoming difficult to get ahold of with it being in demand across various industries.
Brass
There are many places where you can find brass in your building. Most commonly, you can expect to find it in plumbing, heating and electrical items.
Although utilities may be out of use in your property, radiators and faucets are still present within the property and can be easily removed by criminals for their own financial gain.
Being one of the most commonly stolen non-ferrous metals and when prices increase, vacant and vulnerable buildings can face spikes of theft if thieves are able to resell it to scrap yards at a good rate.
Aluminium
Due to its strong durability, lightweight and malleable tendencies, aluminium is a popular choice with many household appliances and fixtures.
Included within guttering, roofing, cladding, door frames and air conditioning units, it is nearly guaranteed that your vacant or vulnerable property will have this metal type present.
Thieves will scale the property to simply gain access to the aluminium and take it for their own financial benefit.
Appliances such as air conditioning units can be ripped away from the building, leaving you with heavy financial implications regarding the repair or replacement of this type of theft.
Bronze
Although less common compared to other metals, bronze is still one to keep in mind with any vacant and vulnerable buildings where this is present.
Found in window and door frames, handrails, column cladding and panels, some elements are easier to target than others. However, where criminals are driven they may utilise extreme tactics to gain a profit.
With vacant and vulnerable buildings in particular, thieves have a sense of security where they can plan and take their time to commit their crimes, especially those buildings in remote locations.
How to Protect Your Vacant and Vulnerable Buildings From Metal Theft
With the number of vacant properties having grown by 16% since 2019, there are various security measures and small steps that can be taken to help prevent your building from falling victim to metal theft.
Having supported many property managers with their vacant properties, boosting their protection and preventing crime such as theft.
We explore the numerous ways you can improve your vacant or vulnerable building’s security, with the use of both small and large measures:
Implement Security Lighting
Lighting can seem counterproductive. Illuminating your vacant or vulnerable building up for all to see could provide an insight into the valuable metals available at your property.
However, without lighting you’re simply providing thieves with further concealment and reducing the chance of capturing any criminals involved due to the low visibility which inhibits suspect identification.
Therefore, to balance both risks, opting for a motion-sensored lighting system around the building’s full perimeter can be an effective crime deterrent to thieves.
It keeps the property and any goods hidden in order to protect against the attraction of any thieves, however, if motion is detected, the lighting will be triggered and this should help to deter any crime.
It strips them of their concealment and presents the building as a difficult target which thieves will likely be looking to avoid.
As vacant and vulnerable buildings are often monitored on a lesser basis, the best form of defence is to remove the opportunities from the criminals’ hands.
Install Mobile CCTV Around the Vacant Building’s Perimeter
Generally considered the most effective form of protection for vacant property, particularly with crime such as metal theft, Mobile CCTV can be utilised both inside of the building and on the external perimeter.
Most criminal activity begins on the outside of the property, therefore it is recommended in all instances that you have a reliable security system that can provide full coverage of your property’s perimeter.
However, for those vacant and vulnerable buildings, it can be difficult to find a Mobile CCTV system that requires no power source or internet input from the property itself or surrounding area.
At WCCTV, we have listened to our client’s previous experiences with security providers and the difficulties they have faced finding one that can fit their needs.
With our CCTV Towers, they provide complete power autonomy and wireless connectivity that allows them to work fully independently, reaching vacant properties in even the most remote locations without the need to skimp on the quality of your security.
For vacant properties in particular, our Smart Towers offer further benefits which include flexibility to move them around various areas on the property perimeter yourself if you’re looking to focus on a specific area.
This lets you adjust it to your security needs and helps boost your property’s protection.
Using a Mobile CCTV system also benefits you in more ways than one as it can help to reduce your insurance premium which is often more expensive than for occupied properties.
Conceal Any Appliances Where Possible
Appliances such as brass hand railings, radiators and air conditioning units are often left on display and if thieves have visibility of this, they are able to estimate the value of the items and appliances within the building.
Concealing any appliances such as these with sheets and other types of material removes that view and reduces the confidence that is provided to thieves with vacant property.
Consider any fire risks from doing this, if there is a safety concern seek professional support to establish other potential security measures that can be implemented over this.
The protection of the property includes more than the prevention of metal theft, so only carry out this process if safe to do so.
Install an Alarm System With any Access Points
For any building, access control is key to maintaining the safety and security of it and any goods held within it.
As much as vacant properties will be void of any personal properties, there will still be elements within a property that will be enticing to thieves.
Therefore, implementing access control systems at your vacant or vulnerable building is just as important as with an occupied building, if not more so needed.
Access controls you can implement with your vacant or vulnerable building are as follows:
- Installing keyless doors with pincode access
- Implementing perimeter fencing
- Using steel security screens on access points
- Installing security alarms if motion is detected
- Regular changing of locks
Each vacant and vulnerable building is unique, therefore running a risk assessment prior will help understand the best type of access control system to implement or group of measures to put in place to protect it against metal theft and other crime.
Use Remote Monitoring Services
Mobile CCTV is only beneficial if it can prevent crime and capture any thieves that have stolen from your property, however, finding suspects after an incident can be extremely difficult.
Although you may have captured footage, without identification it is a complex situation to resolve, and even with identification, tracking those suspects down and prosecuting them is even less likely.
This makes considering the Mobile CCTV system you use is important as it will determine the effectiveness of the protection your vacant or vulnerable building receives against metal theft.
The best type of Mobile CCTV for this type of protection is one backed by remote monitoring services.
There are many benefits to remote monitoring, but most importantly for vacant property, it works as a virtual security guard that can detect, deter and deal with crime whilst active.
Using security experts who can assess any motion detected, respond to threats appropriately, and call the Police if required.
All of our CCTV Towers are fitted with audio deterrents including a live voice-down audio message feature that can be used by the security experts and projected to the criminals to deter them from the building.
Essentially, remote monitoring service allow our products to be proactive and reactive in its security approach, rather than responding retrospectively.
Board Up Your Property
Reducing the view into your property will help to protect your vacant or vulnerable building from various crimes, but most importantly it blocks the view of any appliances, fixtures, piping and structural elements that thieves could see benefit in.
Metals will disguise themselves and for those without criminal knowledge, having visibility of a property may seem non-beneficial. However, criminals can be calculated and where you may not see any benefit from a radiator or heating system, thieves will.
Therefore, removing that view helps remove that knowledge. If the building interior is unknown, thieves will be unable to assess the risks, create a plan, or feel less confident about stealing from the property.
It’s a simple step, but boarding up your building offers both a criminal deterrent and in reducing its likelihood of becoming a target.
Don’t Become Another Statistic, Protect Yourself Against Metal Theft Today
Metal theft is on the rise and everyday you leave your vacant property void of security, you risk becoming another statistic to it.
With quick installation, our CCTV Towers can be rapidly deployed to provide you with immediate protection against metal theft and other security risks presented to your vacant or vulnerable building.
Speak with one of our CCTV Tower experts today to find out how we can support you and your security needs!
