We are seeing a considerable escalation in metal theft driven by an insatiable appetite for all things metal from the fast expanding Chinese and Indian economies. Nowhere seems to be immune from attack, even churches are not a safe haven as thieves target their roofs, with Ecclesiastical Insurance having dealt with 1,400 claims worth £5 million across the UK. And it does not stop there: on a daily basis there are reports regarding the wholesale removal of road signs, railings, manhole covers and even statues, with a bronze statue of Olympic 800 metre champion Steve Ovett being a case in point. On the railways, the British Transport Police are particularly concerned as the theft of signalling copper has reached epidemic proportions.
This thirst for metal makes those involved in refining it from scrap especially vulnerable given the value of material located on their premises, which can seem like a veritable goldmine to criminal gangs. To address this security challenge one company in the West Midlands of England has turned to sophisticated remotely monitored, detector-activated, CCTV technology to help protect its premises. The threat is certainly a very real one in their local area with metal theft of all types up 112% year-on-year. Without measures such as remotely monitored CCTV to deter them in industrial estates, as in the one where the company is situated, criminals are more than willing to attempt to climb over a perimeter fence and on to a site, grabbing specific items - often stealing to order - and then selling them on for cash. In terms of scrap metal, there are always some less scrupulous operators who are happy to melt down scrap with no questions asked, especially given the rise in metal prices.
The solution in place for the metal processing company consists of cameras and detectors placed strategically around the site, linked by specialised transmission equipment to a BS8418 (the UK standard for this type of CCTV) compliant RVRC (Remote Video Response Centre). Here operators can visually confirm what is happening; issue verbal warnings (via on-site speakers) to intruders and if necessary rapidly alert the police and the company's key holders so they can take appropriate action.
A number of incidents have underlined the value of remotely monitored CCTV. In one case a gang broke into the site during the night by climbing an external fence. Fortunately two individuals were spotted by operators at the RVRC after they had activated the associated detectors who alerted the police and one of the key holders. The police were then able to bring their dogs on site and track down and detain one of the intruders at the scene. Without prompt action the company would have faced considerable losses, disruption to business and heightened insurance premiums.
In the end, with the ongoing criminal threat to industrial sites and an increasing thirst for metal of all types, it is likely that more and more businesses will adopt an intelligent event-driven approach to security.