If you read our last blog, How Do Intruders Get Onto Building Sites?, then you’re well aware of the threat that intruders can pose to your building site. Any form of intrusion – whether that be for the purpose of trespassing, vandalism, and/or theft – can extend the length of your project and end up costing you a lot more money in the long run. After reading this blog, you’ll understand what vandalism looks like, why it happens, and what you can do to tackle vandalism.
What does vandalism look like?
Vandalism can be orchestrated by a single individual or by groups and comes in a variety of forms, including:
- Graffiti or otherwise defacing property
- Environmental vandalism, such as flytipping and littering
- Smashing lights and/or windows
- Damaging, breaking and/or removing signage
- Tyre slashing and vehicle keying
- Arson
Why do people vandalize?
Vandalism can occur as a consequence of other crimes, such as theft, but this is not always the case. There are a variety of reasons a person might choose to vandalize property, including but not limited to:
- As a form of protest (i.e. vandalizing random sites in response to a current issue, or even specifically protesting against the site itself, in cases where decisions to undertake a project have been controversial)
- As part of a riot (i.e. random acts of vandalism)
- To send a message (i.e. political messages)
- Artistic expression (i.e. graffiti art)
- Revenge (i.e. targeting someone’s property as a reaction to a perceived wrongdoing)
- For entertainment (i.e. bored youths removing or altering signage)
- To get rid of something (i.e. flytipping, littering)
What can you do about site vandalism?
There are a number of things you can do to deter vandals from your construction site. We recommend checking out our blog titled ‘How Do Intruders Get Onto Building Sites?’, which will offer security solutions to common access points for intruders. Additionally, find out how to secure your site with our checklist ‘Ten Tips To Keep Your Construction Site Safe’. Overall, it’s important that you keep your site secured by locking valuable items away, keeping your site well-lit, using an accredited security system and signposting it to warn intruders that you employ rapid response site security.
Want to learn more about using the RaiderVision security solution to protect your building site? Check out our construction site security page.
