The National Equipment Register, an organization that provides information on heavy equipment theft and ownership, estimates that construction theft costs companies between $300 million and $1 billion a year nationwide because of theft of construction equipment. Items most frequently stolen are:

Tractors 26% - Skid Loaders 23% - Backhoe Loaders 20% - Loaders 12%

"As little as 10-15% of stolen equipment is recovered." Source: National Equipment Register. When theft of tools, batteries, construction materials, and the latest craze, theft of copper, are factored in, the losses tally up to even larger amounts. Then there is the vandalism that occurs at building sites such as broken windshields, smashed equipment, destruction and defacement of construction in progress, etc. Pro-active construction companies use a variety of security measures, including security guards 24/7, anti-theft devices mounted on individual pieces of equipment, hard-wired CCTV systems that are monitored to reduce the damage and thefts.

Q-Star offers a less expensive alternative-The FlashCAM-770 digital deterrent system.

The FlashCAM's battery pack is powered by solar, so it's ideal for remote locations-no hard wiring Is needed. A key benefit of the system is the deterrent factor. The FlashCAM issues a loud voice warning while taking a series of photographs whenever motion is detected. The system operates unattended in total darkness to protect your site.

Strategy

Stop thefts and vandalism before they occur, saving the expense of equipment replacement, downtime and dealing with the aftermath of vandalism. Use FlashCAM systems as the first line of defense to safeguard your site.

Tactics

1. Determine when the theft and/or vandalism occurs-daytime, nighttime. This information will helpful when setting up the FlashCAMs. For example, the systems can be set to operate from dusk to dawn, which would be an appropriate setting if most theft and vandalism occurs at night.

2. Based on the size of the building site, determine how many FlashCAMs are needed to secure the site. Next, decide where the FlashCAM systems will be mounted (at least 18 feet high). Example: the building site is a bridge under construction. Thieves are stealing batteries from heavy equipment, causing expensive down time and replacement costs. Solution: Install a FlashCAM deterrent system at each end of the bridge. Post a large warning sign at both entry points to the site. If your building site is large, for example, a shopping mall or a school, customers tell us they "circle the wagons."At the end of the workday all pieces of heavy equipment are parked in one area so they can be protected by a minimum number of FlashCAM systems. Each FlashCAM has a range of 100 feet.

3. Set goals: If stopping the theft/vandalism is your goal, set the system to take two or three photos per event. Imagine this scenario at 2 a.m. A thief has entered your building site with the intent of stealing something. When the FlashCAM system detects motion, a bright light flashes and a loud voice booms out, "Stop! This is a restricted area. We have just taken your photograph and will use this photo to prosecute you. Leave now!"Typically, the combination of the bright flash and voice warning surprises the intruder and he/she departs the scene for an easier target. If your goal is to "catch" the intruder, or perhaps identify an employee that you suspect is stealing, your tactics will be a bit different. Set the FlashCAM to take 4 photos per event. When the intruder sees the bright flash from the FlashCAM system, the tendency is to look toward the flash. By taking several photographs of the event, this strategy improves your chances of getting recognizable photos of the intruder, which can be used to identify him/her. The FlashCAM-770 digital system can store 770 photos when set at 5 megapixel resolution, and over 1,500 photos when set at 3 megapixel resolution.

4. Portability of the systems works to your advantage. Customers report that once the word spreads that a location is guarded by a security deterrent system, the thefts and vandalism tend to stop. When the job is completed, just move the FlashCAM systems onto your next job site.

5. Document your theft/vandalism deterrent program. Track when and where the FlashCAMs are installed. Take "before- and-after"photographs of the site. Track the amount of money lost due to theft and vandalism before FlashCAM systems were installed. Note the amount of money lost from theft and vandalism (if any) after FlashCAMs are installed. This ongoing record of your deterrent program will serve you well when the next job is bid and when setting budgets.

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