Collier Co. Sheriff's Office Curbs Construction Thefts With Award-Winning Crime Prevention Program

NAPLES, Fla., December 12, 2022 (Newswire.com) - An innovative and award-winning crime prevention program is keeping construction sites safe from thieves in one of the fastest-growing areas of the country.

The Collier County Sheriff's Office Construction Site Watch Program recently was named the Outstanding Crime Prevention Program of the Year by the Florida Crime Prevention Association. Sheriff Kevin Rambosk created the program in November 2021 to allow deputies to work closely with contractors to monitor and protect at-risk equipment and materials.

"As our area continues to grow and prosper, we are committed to preventing crimes anywhere in the county - even those places that are still being built," Rambosk said. "The FCPA award recognizes the success of this program in identifying, preventing, investigating and minimizing construction site crime."

Through the Construction Site Watch Program deputies are preventing crimes with a combination of community engagement, data analysis and sophisticated tracking and monitoring technology.

Located in Southwest Florida, Collier County is seeing a surge in construction because of a high demand for housing, which also leads to more commercial building. Construction sites often are targeted by criminals because they're in remote locations, lack security and lighting, and usually have thousands of dollars of materials and equipment on hand.

The cost of materials has gone up, and supply-chain issues have created a higher demand, making construction sites even more attractive to thieves. 

With the Construction Site Watch Program, the Sheriff's Office partners with contractors to protect equipment. The program is simple and effective.

Contractors alert the Sheriff's Office when they have materials being delivered, or when they are leaving equipment on-site. They can send pictures and serial numbers of specific items they would like monitored.

CCSO's Real-Time Operations Center (ROC) compiles a watchlist of vulnerable locations. That list is then sent to deputies, who closely monitor these sites by visiting the locations daily. The ROC uses geo-fencing capabilities to accurately track site checks. 

If deputies discover that something is missing, they have the contact information for the supervisor at each location and can contact them immediately.

CCSO Crime Prevention deputies have been proactive about bringing awareness to this program and ensuring that construction companies take advantage of the resource. Deputies visit with contractors at offices, industry meetings and forums, and even on sites to distribute literature with program information. CCSO also educates the companies about trends and thefts in the construction industry. 

Through this program, the Sheriff's Office has developed an effective, long-lasting and significant strategy to reduce construction site thefts.

Source: Collier County Sheriff's Office