VEHICLE SECURITY
The unseen impact of tool theft
Many people are surprised by the psychological impact of being a victim of crime,
and tradespeople are no different. One in three are victims of tool theft, with 71%
saying that the experience has had a negative effect on their mental health.
» RESEARCH BY THE FEDERATION OF
Master Builders concluded that more than
three quarters (83%) of UK builders have
had their tools stolen. Insurer ECIC states
the average claim last year was £2,685.
However, the human cost is far higher.
The survey into tool theft found that 15%
of builders suffer from anxiety, one in ten
builders (11%) suffer from depression
with some reporting experiences of panic
attacks and suicidal thoughts. These
feelings are particularly common when
tradespeople are repeat victims.
Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB
said: “Decisive action is needed to tackle
tool theft. Eight in ten builders report
that they have had tools stolen before.
With this causing mental health issues,
the Government needs to investigate
tool theft and consider the need for the
introduction of tighter regulations around
selling second-hand tools, with greater
minimum fines for those convicted of tool
theft. Builders need to take extra steps to
reduce the risk of theft by bringing tools
inside at night, installing additional locks
on the van, marking tools with an address
or phone number, and painting them a
special colour.”
Chris Batterbee, CEO at Locks 4
Vans adds: “A robust supplementary
van locking system can provide added
security and peace of mind. We are 110%
committed to reducing van crime, and as
a result, our talented team is relentless in
their mission to bring innovative security
solutions to market. We’re ahead of the
game and whilst the results of this survey
are alarming, you can trust Locks 4 Vans to
deliver solutions that your customers can
depend on.”
Find out more at www.locks4vans.co.uk,
by calling 01474 560077 or emailing
[email protected]
IN THE BUSINESS OF SECURING LEISURE VEHICLES
» MILENCO HAS LED THE
market in the British design
and engineering of mechanical
security products to protect
leisure vehicles, cars and
motorcycles since 1993,
specialising in mechanical
systems that thwart and beat
the best thieves in the world.
Based in Milton Keynes,
Milenco have an excellent
reputation for high quality and
specialise in safety, security,
access and comfort products,
winning numerous awards
and dominating mechanical
security in the leisure vehicle
marketplace; selling products
all over the world, including
UK, Europe, Australia and
Asia
Virtually every Milenco
product tested by Caravan
magazines has been awarded
a Best Buy commendation,
with the Milenco Wheelclamp
being undefeated in every
demanding attack test
performed by Practical
Caravan since 1999.
Now, Milenco is one of
the latest companies to join
Secured by Design (SBD),
the official police security
initiative; with 17 bike security
products and 12 vehicle
security products having
achieved Police Preferred
Specification.
David Johnston, Sales
Director, Milenco, said: “We are
delighted to be teaming up with
Secured by Design, we believe
that it is a fantastic initiative
where the Police recommend
accredited security products to
help reduce crime”.
SBD Development Doug
Skins said: “It has been a
pleasure to sign Milenco as
a new member company of
Secured by Design. They join
us with an extensive range
of bicycle and motor vehicle
security products which have
achieved Police Preferred
Specification and I am looking
forward to working alongside
them for years to come”.
SBD plays a significant crime
prevention role in the planning
process to design out crime
in a wide range of building
sectors. It has achieved some
significant success including
one million homes built to
SBD standards with reductions
in crime of up to 87%.
SBD has many partner
organisations, ranging from
the Home Office, Ministry
of Housing, Communities
& Local Government and
the Police Service through
to local authorities, housing
associations, developers and
manufacturers and work closely
with standards and certification
bodies to ensure that their
publicly available standards
actually meet the needs of the
police and public alike.
www.milenco.com
64
JUL/AUG 2020
locksmithjournal.co.uk