Stolen tools: How tradies can lower their chances of being robbed
Are you a tradie who has thousands of dollars worth of equipment? Perhaps you have already become a victim to the heartless thieves who target expensive tools. Here are ways to help stop them from being nicked.
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Tradies are losing tens of thousands of dollars in tools — their livelihood — as large numbers of tool thefts continue to be reported across Melbourne, Manningham’s crime prevention officer says.
Many tradesmen continue to return to their utes to find thousands of dollars worth of gear gone — even though the tools were protected by locks.
A poor tradie lost $25,000 worth of tools when he was parked in Elm St, Hawthorn, last month after robbers used a saw or angle grinder to cut through padlocks on the back of his ute.
Leading Senior Constable Carla Reardon has shared her top tips to help tradies minimise their chances of being targeted.
Above all, she’s warned tradies to avoid becoming complacent with their tools, saying while their suburb may feel safe, offenders often visit from other areas.
PARK IN A GARAGE
It’s highly recommended that utes containing tools are kept in a personal garage whenever possible.
Leading Sen-Constable Reardon said garages made it the most difficult for the robber to take place.
But she’s reminded drivers this is only the case if the door is shut — and locked.
Leading Sen-Constable Reardon said a lot of homes were being broken into where offenders were getting in through garage doors being left unsecured.
TAKE TOOLS INSIDE
Many people don’t have the option of parking in their own garage.
In this case, tradies should take movable “big ticket items” inside whenever they can, and store them out of sight from windows.
PARK CLOSE BY
Tradies without their own garages should also park as close to their house as possible — or in a spot that’s tricky to access.
Leading Sen-Constable Reardon suggests utes should be parked as close to the house as possible, with the tray backed up against the wall so it’s hard to get into.
Vehicles on the street can be parked close to trees or any objects that make it hard to get into them — and to get things out.
LOCKS
Locks with alarms are available from hardware stores and are much more threatening than standard locks.
Leading Sen-Constable Reardon suggests tradies secure their vehicles with alarmed locks or cable ties, which emit a large sound if they are moved much.
MAKE THEM UNAPPEALING
Some tradies ‘mark their territory’ by making sure their tools don’t blend in with the crowd, so thieves will be less likely to want them.
Leading Sen-Constable Reardon said some tradies spray paint all their tools fluoro pink.
ON SITE
Tools are also often ripped off from busy work sites, where tradies’ cars also tend to be raided for wallets and goods.
Leading Sen-Constable Reardon has described the sites as a “rich hunting ground for thieves”.
She has reminded tradies to lock their cars and not to leave their tools unattended.
To stop tools being nicked behind tradies’ backs, she’s recommended they get motion-activated alarms for their tool boxes which let off a sound when they are lifted.
INCREASING CHANCES OF GETTING STOLEN TOOLS BACK
Police often come across offenders with stacks of tools, but they have no idea who they were taken from.
Police will always check for identifying marks, so suggest tradies engrave their licence numbers onto their tools.
Leading Sen-Constable Reardon said tradies could also fix GPS trackers to their more valuable tools to help police track them down.
MORE: HOW TO PROTECT YOUR APARTMENT FROM BREAK-INS