In a social climate where the dreaded words “recession” and “economic slump” are rearing to remind the American public of their all-pervading presence at every turn – with nary a newspaper article, coffee shop conversation, or blog entry seemingly able to resist joining in the country’s collective, ongoing, groan about the economy – the “desperate measures for desperate times” adage has never rung more true. For some, this translates into coupon-clipping, trimming away all of the “fun fat” in one’s personal expenditures, and all of the other general, attendant, forms of downsizing that are lean times de riguer. For a limited population of others, however, this translates differently: into criminal activities – namely, of the thieving kind.

Of course, theft is an activity squarely placed in history’s canon of crime. But, like civilization, theft “evolves” in form and expression and “adapts” to cultural conditions. A potent contemporary example of this may be undeniably identified in the swelling epidemic of public works’ materials and equipment theft that has not only frustrated and slowed the momentum of the day to day lives of countless Americans and has highway construction project managers, emergency personnel, and lawmakers up in arms but that also, alarmingly, threatens public safety more generally.

For example, the widely reported crisis of metal theft that has come to burgeon nation-wide over the course of the past several years – triggered by a dramatic spike in per-pound metal recycling exchange values, especially copper, influenced mightily by massive building booms in a number of developing countries – is not only reportedly costing America upwards of $1 billion, annually (per the estimate of The Department of Energy), but is also the culprit of countless fires and the malfunction of vital public safety infrastructure. Preying on Public Works projects like highway, railroad, and public transit construction and maintenance, these thieves have become somewhat “entrepreneurial” by staying current about where new public works projects are being launched and where valuable materials and equipment are being stored, researching the best, most efficient, methods for staging their burglaries, and tactically launching their “attacks” during the times and at the locations where they have the least chance of being apprehended. Unsurprisingly, for the “insider” segment of these criminals who are actually employed by (or were formerly employed by) public works organizations, the advantage of being very much in the know about the specifics of such projects makes it all the easier to effectively conduct their criminal operations. And, even with the exchange value of metals like copper decreasing substantially, the bevy of expensive supplies and equipment typically found at public works sites like generators, compressors, and skid steers ensures that they will be attractive to thieves for countless years to come.

Lawmakers and project managers alike have come to recognize the importance of staying one step ahead of this crime trend by devising and implementing public works surveillance strategies and security systems better equipped to proactively alert the authorities in real time – that is, when the crime is still being committed, rather than afterward, when the damage has already been done and the responsible parties have moved well on their (and out of the) way. With more integrated, multi-pronged approaches to public works construction site surveillance that includes installing IP cameras and CCTV monitoring systems that allow some of the most vulnerable, out-of-the way sites to be observed remotely, increasing the regular presence of security guards and police officers, and improving lighting strategies and site maintenance to make it more difficult for thieves to hide in the shadows, these violations of public works security become decreasingly attractive to criminals looking for a quick, sure, plunder.