CCTV and the three bears

Combatting metal theft risks

Metal theft is reportedly on the rise again so why and how should you advise your customers about security measures and prevention?

Anything made of metal has a scrap value, but the favoured materials for thieves are copper, lead, aluminium, brass, and bronze

We use the term precious metal to describe gold, silver and platinum, plus a few rarities. Other than that, many think of metal as heavy and cheap. But, in fact, a tonne of scrap copper can get you between £6,000 to £7,000.

Metal theft is a real issue, and it’s one that’s getting worse, after a previous period of marked improvement.

The Scrap Metal Dealers Act

In 2013, the government passed the Scrap Metal Dealers Act. The act established a licensing system for anyone dealing in scrap metal or motor salvage. Buyers would have to ask for photo ID, and cash transactions were banned.

At first, the new system worked extremely well. The number of metal thefts recorded by police in England and Wales fell from 62,000 to 13,000 in just four years. But, those numbers are now on the rise again. Figures remain lower than the peak – recorded by Statista as 2012/13 – though there are concerns that organised gangs are stealing more now in each case, meaning that simple incident counts may not tell the whole story.

There are two key reasons why things are getting worse. The World Bank’s Metals and Minerals Price Index went up by half in 2021 (though it seems to be stabilising now). And, here’s what the CEO of the British Metals Recycling Association said when asked to name the biggest challenge his industry faced: “The lack of enforcement of the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013. Put simply neither the police nor local authorities have the funding to tackle cash-paying operatives. The illegal operators know this and now openly flout the law and even advertise that they will pay cash for scrap metal.”

The association is calling for the reinstatement of the Metal Theft Taskforce – the body whose assessment led to the 2013 law.

Anything made of metal has a scrap value, but the favoured materials for thieves are copper, lead, aluminium, brass, and bronze. Copper is at most risk. Lower value metals like steel will be targeted if they are easy to take – there are numerous thefts of covers from drains and manholes, for example.

Vacant properties – commercial and domestic –are at the most risk, but there are also opportunistic thefts from busy places, generally during unoccupied hours. Sheds and other outbuildings are common targets.

Prevention measures that installers can suggest in addition to installing CCTV and alarms systems include actions as simple as moving metal out of sight wherever possible to spraying metals with a forensic traceable liquid and signposting the fact that this is present.

Where are the UK’s metal theft hotspots?

Roofing Megastore has used a Freedom of Information (FOI) request with UK police forces to discover the cities and towns in the UK which have the most reported building materials such as copper and lead stolen over the past five years.

Sheffield and Preston are the cities with the most building material thefts, each with 482 reported crimes since 2017. Nine out of the top ten cities with the most reported thefts are based in the north of the country, with towns and cities including Burnley, Doncaster, and Barnsley all ranking in the top ten.

Ten cities that fall under Lancashire Constabulary ranked in the top 25 list, while three cities from the Humberside area also placed in the top 25. Cities and towns governed by the South Yorkshire Police only appeared four times in the top 25 list, however the four towns that were included (Barnsley, Rotherham, Doncaster and Sheffield), each reported over 245 total crimes, placing them in the top ten.

Amongst the northern destinations which ranked in the top 25 cities, were three towns from Kent (Canterbury, Ashford and Margate), and towns in the middle and south of England, including Norwich, Worksop South and Dudley. One Welsh town made the top 25 list, with Llanelli reporting 105 building material thefts since 2017.

Expanding the role of CCTV

When we think about video surveillance it’s usually in the context of protecting people and property, however a new project, delivered by KIS Fire & Security using IDIS end-to-end video technology, demonstrates that CCTV has a role in protecting nature and contributing to education and science

A CCTV upgrade was needed to replace a failing, pre-existing system , to ensure that staff had a reliable real-time view of all perimeters and enclosures

Asuite of IDIS software and hardware has been installed at Bristol Zoological Society’s new landmark visitor attraction, the Wild Place Project. The video system’s role is to ensure the safety of staff and visitors, to watch over the zoo’s animal population, including its bears and wolverines, and to help manage the ancient woodland setting.

Requiring an upgrade

Bristol Zoological Society is one of the world’s oldest conservation and education charities, one with an international reputation for its work protecting wildlife around the world. In addition to projects focused on critically endangered species, and working with local communities, the society encourages sustainable behaviours through its education programmes.

The zoo’s newest visitor attraction, the 136acre Wild Place Project just off junction 17 of the M5, will become its permanent home when it moves from its historic city centre location in 2024. The aim is to establish a zoo for the 21st century with conservation and sustainability at its heart.

The first phase has already begun, with a number of important species being settled into their new homes, and the first visitors enjoying views of the enclosures from raised walkways.

Video surveillance is playing a vital role, allowing the new site to be managed efficiently and safely. However a CCTV upgrade was needed to replace a failing, pre-existing system , to ensure that staff had a reliable real-time view of all perimeters and enclosures. In particular they need to be able to check that the integrity of fences is not compromised, for example by storm damage.

Affordability was a key consideration, specifically how to achieve 24/7 coverage of the park’s extensive areas while maintaining low OPEX costs for cameras, infrastructure, data transmission, and maintenance.

KIS Fire and Security was awarded the contract to design and install a new solution using IDIS technology. But the project would not be straightforward, not only because of the woodland settings, but because species including European brown bears, wolves, cheetahs, zebras, and wolverines were already living at the site.

The implementation needed to be undertaken with close attention to health and safety: during the 8-week project, the KIS engineers had to work in pairs, using walkie-talkies to keep in close contact with zoo’s welfare team.

To minimise disturbance to the animals the engineers had to keep noise down. And for work