How to improve security at a rural business site

Did you know that rural crime costs the UK around £44.5 million every year? These shocking figures are a real concern for businesses based in the countryside, but many businesses don’t know where to start. Here we look at what can be done to bolster security at rural sites.

Businesses located in the rural community are by nature more vulnerable than those located in more urban areas. Pedestrian traffic is typically lower which means less chance of someone spotting and reporting something suspicious.

Farming insurance organization NFU Mutual have been outspoken in their encouragement for businesses to take seriously the threat of crime and ramp up their on-site security measures. Commenting, rural affairs specialist Tim Price said: “From the South East of England to the North of Scotland we’re seeing brazen criminals stealing cars, 4x4s, tractors, quad bikes and tools”. So how can businesses located in these communities properly defend themselves?

While it is good practice to have a CCTV system in place at a rural site for monitoring purposes, it will not necessarily prevent a crime from taking place and besides, even the best security cameras can be beaten by a well disguised criminal. However, a strong security gate is one method of preventing a criminal from ever gaining access to your site in the first place. Swing gates, sliding gates and bi-folding gates are just some of your options.

Depending on the nature of your businesses you might have suppliers and customers visiting you throughout the day. If this is the case, then you need to be careful that the people visiting are who they say they are. Limit access around your site to sensitive areas and double check credentials. One way to limit pedestrian access is to use turnstiles which can be controlled through use of a keypad, proximity cards, tokens or an intercom access.

Vehicular access in particular will sometimes need to be restricted. Many rural crimes such as machine and equipment theft are carried out by a ram raid and criminals make their getaway in cars or vans. By installing tools like bollards and automatic rising kerbs you can put the brakes on their escape and they may act as a deterrent to criminals making them second guess whether targeting your business is worth the risk.

Are you interested in finding out more? Gateway Automation provide a range of perimeter security systems to help businesses and individuals to secure their sites and also provides nationwide servicing and repairs to gates, barriers and other perimeter security equipment. To find out more, please contact us on 01522 68255 or take a look at our brochure which can be viewed here: http://www.gatewayautomation.co.uk/brochure/.

Preventing solar farm theft

With global warming firmly on the agenda of British consumers for many years now, renewable energy is one of the UK’s fastest growing industries. The renewable energy market offers great opportunity for those interested in harnessing its power and many farm owners are converting large areas of previously agricultural land into solar farms.

However, unfortunately growing in tandem with solar farms has been a rise in agricultural theft, with some solar farms targeted by criminals. NFU Mutual stated in a recent report that last year rural crime cost the UK a total of £44.5m and the level of crime is “rising at its fastest rate since 2010”.

One example of devastating solar panel theft comes from Casewick Park, Lincolnshire. In March 2018, thieves stole around £50,000 worth of solar panels and inverters from a rooftop installation. Police reported their suspicions that a truck or large van would have had to have been used due to the sheer weight of all the components stolen in the raid.

Elsewhere, in Stratford thieves targeted a site at Drayton Manor Farm where hi-tech solar panels worth upwards of £45,000 were stolen. Once again, the police suspected that thieves must have used a lorry to steal the parts.

It was reported that Hampshire police were recently investigating a total of six incidents across Hampshire which included theft and criminal damage across solar farms in the area.

So how can we tackle the problem of solar farm theft? One way to do so is to make it as difficult as possible for criminals to make a quick get-away.

Using perimeter gates, fences or automatic rising kerbs can all prevent unauthorised access to vehicles, so too can automatic gates.

Whereas many burglaries are unplanned and opportunistic, the size and weight of solar panels and equipment often means that the crimes are planned in advance. This means that a site which is well secured is less likely to fall victim.

Gateway Automation provide a range of perimeter security systems to help businesses and individuals to secure their sites and also provides nationwide servicing and repairs to gates, barriers and other perimeter security equipment. To find out more, please contact us on 01522 68255 or take a look at our brochure which can be viewed here: http://www.gatewayautomation.co.uk/brochure/.