NCJ Number
224755
Journal
Security Journal Volume: 21 Issue: 4 Dated: October 2008 Pages: 246-263
Date Published
October 2008
Length
18 pages
Annotation
This article provides a synthesis of the research concerning the nature of construction site theft, common crime prevention practices used by builders and police, suggestions for crime prevention based on opportunity theory, and evaluation results.
Abstract
A predominant theme of this comprehensive review is that there is limited research on the nature of construction site theft and there are only a handful of evaluations specifically addressing crime prevention techniques used to impact construction site theft. However, data sources have been presented that can be used to study many of the gaps in this literature. In addition, ideas are presented throughout that encourage future examination of this crime and the techniques used to prevent it. Highlights of these ideas include: (1) the types of goods stolen by particular types of thieves; (2) the nature of repeat victimization; (3) perceptions of builders about this type of crime and the impact on theft rates; (4) the overall effectiveness of opportunity blocking on this type of crime; (5) nature and motivations of the different types of construction site thieves; and (6) the effectiveness of various target hardening techniques on crime (lighting, closed-circuit television camera, alarms, fencing, marking property, and crime prevention signage). Construction site theft is recognized as a concern by the United States as well as many other countries. Estimates from the United States indicate that between $1 and $4 billion dollars worth of materials, tools, as well as large and small equipment are stolen every year. This paper on construction site theft provides a synthesis of the research, known crime prevention practices, evaluation results of these techniques, and implications for security. References