Reasons Why Machinery Theft Is On The Rise

Startling statistics indicate that machinery theft from the construction and agriculture sectors is on the rise and shows no signs of slowing down. The Police National Intelligence Unit for organised acquisitive crime (Opal) figures show that between 2021 and 2022, there was a rise of 14% in reported thefts of machinery linked to these sectors and that these figures are still on the rise.
There are a number of reasons that machinery theft is on the rise, lets take a look at them.
Inadequate security

One of the main reasons that machinery theft is on the rise is that many companies simply do not have enough security in place to deter criminals. This can be security for the premises where they store the machinery, security such as vehicle trackers on the machinery itself, or a mixture of both of these. This makes the chances of success with the theft of these types of machinery a prospect that many criminals cannot resist.

With the right tools and suitable transport with which to remove machinery from a site, gangs of organised criminals often find that there is not enough to deter them from moving in and stripping a site or location of much of its machinery overnight.

Resale value
The brand-new value of the types of machinery that are being stolen is such that the resale value of stolen machinery from these sectors can also fetch a high resale value, another reason that it is very tempting to criminals. The lead time for new machinery can be quite lengthy, often too lengthy for those who need to replace something, which means that the market for second-hand machinery moves rather fast.

Even older machinery can still command a good resale price, if not for the machinery as it stands, then as parts. This is because some parts, particularly older ones, are harder to come across, and newer ones are not always immediately available. Longer lead times and delays can mean a loss of earnings.

In April 2022, the restrictions placed on the use of red diesel in the construction industry, in conjunction with higher prices for diesel, made diesel bowsers and fuel tanks a much more attractive option to criminals.

What can be done to counteract this wave of machinery theft?
Whilst there is not much that machinery owners can do about the resale value of machinery, there is plenty that they can do to improve the security. Simply fitting good quality vehicle tracking devices to all machinery, both agricultural and construction, will help to deter thieves from taking it in the first place. In cases where it is taken tracking devices can be used to help the police locate them and hopefully ensure that they can be returned to their rightful owners.

Whilst there is little that can be done to stop a really determined criminal gang there are certainly measures that can be taken to make things much harder for them – including finding stolen machinery before they get away with selling it on.