Theft costs

Talk to any company which has experienced serious breaches of security and they will tell you just how much it has affected their bottom line. Good security dramatically lowers your vulnerability

Today’s world is dramatically different to the challenges of even just 10 years ago. The threat of international terrorism and the galloping pace of IT and technology makes the world a hugely different place to what it was in 1998. Clearly the world has changed – both in the sheer scale and the range of threat experienced by people today.
Look at the evidence: a reportable increase in theft, personal attack and abuse; increases in property damage through vandalism, terrorism and the severe forces of nature, made even more significant by global warming.
All of us now have a heightened awareness of just how fragile our personal security is and that of our property, assets and businesses.

New regulations have increased companies’ responsibilities to the safety of staff. The UK’s revised Corporate Manslaughter Bill is a good example. UK companies themselves – not to mention management – are now far more exposed under the revised law. A manslaughter prosecution can now be bought against an organisation rather than any individual. And a company found guilty of not placing sufficient care on safety and security could be fined between five to 10 percent of turnover. Just imagine what that would do to some companies. Fines could run into multi-millions - for some.

What ADT offers

ADT is the UK’s leading provider of ‘electronic’ fire and security solutions. Their business is based on the concept of ‘total capability’. From design to installation and ongoing maintenance, ADT offers a complete service.

Protecting your company – and yourself - effectively
What’s the best way for companies to plan better security for their operations, especially if your building is still under construction? There are several routes making effective use of evaluation and data management.

ADT advises collecting and analysing data from as many sources as possible such as perimeter intruder alerts, access control management, CCTV and number plate recognition. With correct and corroborating data, evidence of theft and loss or damage can be collected and managed by the authorities more effectively.

Yet there are many simple, yet effective, ways of protecting people and property that don’t cost much and can also be very effective such as:


Your security strategy should consider the people in the property or on site – evacuation planning, key holders, contingency planning – in line with disaster recovery. Remember, security is now a board level responsibility.

Recognising the threat
Just how serious is the security threat to buildings, especially under construction? Security is a major consideration of site management both in terms of timescale and investment. Sadly the greatest proportion of site crime – theft – is often committed by casual site staff.

It is estimated that construction site thefts are growing at a rate of 25 percent per annum, increasing the cost of a residential property by one to two percent. Quite dramatically, the installation of CCTV cameras on a construction site is reported to cut the level of theft on site by up to 90 percent.

The theft of large construction materials or plant is commonly reported. But recovering heavy plant using a number of technologies – Mtrack, GSM location system or Number Plate Recognition technology for all who enter the site - enables investigations to be efficient, with site equipment tracked and returned promptly, reducing cost of replacement and lowering your insurance costs.

In many of large new build contracts, ADT is working as part of the security strategy team, providing information on the latest technology and designing security solutions to meet the needs of the whole site.


Under attack
ADT customers see security as an operational need. Especially when they consider the value of what they have on site or in the building, be it property, assets or people. Risk of fire is usually the greatest issue, when considering the vulnerability of a property.

Unauthorised visitors also cause concern and many organisations have opted for integrated access control to reduce this risk.

There are of course, industry sectors that have specific security requirements too, such as hospitals, petrochemical sites, public buildings and large entertainment sites.

What, then, is the most effective surveillance instrument most in use? CCTV Systems provide an unparalleled contribution to a security strategy. Visual evidence of security breach and the deterrent effect is unmatched by any other security system. Over the past decade, the use of Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) for surveillance and crime control has grown to unprecedented levels. It is estimated in Britain more than 15,500,000 cameras are already monitoring shopping areas, housing estates, car parks and public facilities in thousands of towns and cities.
CCTV systems can also be integrated into Intruder Alarms or Access Control Systems in order to provide specific viewing of physical alerts, such as presenting a picture to a monitor when an access card is presented to a reader or when a movement detector activates.

Evaluating your own risk level
From the very beginning of construction – no matter what type of building, business or value – there are many areas by which your own business could be vulnerable. Just look at large scale projects such as the London Olympics planned for 2012. Security there is at the heart of the project and is being considered in all areas of development.
Large port sites have their own unique requirements, with many thousands of ships and millions of tonnes of cargo passing though an average site each year, and in addition millions of foot passengers and thousands private or haulage vehicles.

Similarly security is of the utmost importance to any airport, the fastest growing of all transport sub-sectors. Understanding what measures to take to reduce that risk and what technology to use is where ADT play a big part, working with specifiers to design solutions specifically for each sectors needs.

Harnessing technology
Where has modern technology made the most impact for building security and how? Modern technology enables data management of fire and security systems. Internet Protocol (IP) based systems provide more valuable alert and situational data, from which security decisions and trends are evaluated.

By providing integrated solutions, using IP and networked systems throughout our security portfolio, ADT enables ‘whole sites’ to be centrally managed and monitored.

IP and digitally enabled systems that use an existing IP infrastructure have demonstrated cost benefits, and provide efficient medium to transmit alerts and images to multiple sites or control centres.

Better value for money
As the uptake and development of security technology increases, the cheaper and more efficient it becomes. That’s certainly the case with much of the technology ADT provides and develops. Great advances are being made in camera graphics for example, providing better images, triggering on event and greater camera angle manipulation.

IP enabled systems also offer reduced installation and maintenance costs by using existing networked systems to provide more relevant and valuable information. IP also enables systems to encompass more services, intruder alert, CCTV, Automatic Numberplate Recognition and Access Control. This means organisations can build a strategy for total visibility and security and reduce costs for manned guarding and on-the-ground-management.

Contact ADT
ADT Fire and Security
Security House
The Summit, Hanworth Road,
Sunbury-on-Thames, Middlesex, TW16 5DB, United Kingdom.

www.adt.com