Joe Phelan and Nicola Weaver, of Meridian Services, are driving a campaign against building-site crime
Camera IconJoe Phelan and Nicola Weaver, of Meridian Services, are driving a campaign against building-site crime Credit: Supplied/Emma Reeves

Building-site thieves targeted

Lucy Jarvis, North Coast TimesNorth Coast Times

Co-ordinating the Name and Shame campaign, Meridian Security senior investigator Joe Phelan and marketing executive Nicola Weaver visited the northern suburbs in early November.

Ms Weaver said they had recently run an awareness campaign in Baldivis and already seen a decrease in incidents.

‘We decided to hit the northern suburbs this month as well,’ she said. ‘Clarkson was top of the list (in September).’

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Part of their strategy was to chat to builders across the northern suburbs, as well as local police, as Ms Weaver said they were appealing to tradies and the general public to help prevent building-site crime.

‘We need the people who are around all the time to be our eyes and ears,’ she said.

‘When there aren’t people around during the evening, that’s when a lot of stuff happens. ‘Coming up to Christmas, that’s the peak time ” illegal dumping goes through the roof.’

In the first 10 months of this year, Meridian received reports of 30 water meters, worth $7466, stolen from building sites in the north- west metropolitan district.

In the same period, thieves took lintels in 23 incidents, brickies’ hardware in 19, and steel in 17.

Butler was the worst hit for thefts from sites prior to lock-up, with 57 incidents reported between January 1 and November 6, followed by Landsdale with 51 incidents.

Builders in Banksia Grove reported 37 incidents, while Clarkson had 16 and Burns Beach 14.

Landsdale was the worst hit with burglaries after lock-up, with 17 incidents, closely followed by Alkimos with 16, then 10 in Darch and nine in Butler.

Banksia Grove and Landsdale each had 10 incidents of damage, while Koondoola had five and Butler four.

According to Ms Weaver, some break-ins were done by people within the industry, particularly where items were installed or delivered one day and stolen the next.

She said there were rewards of up to $3000 and it was important people reported incidents immediately.

‘For people looking to buy in these new suburbs as well, they want to know that they are moving into a safe area,’ she said.

Ms Weaver said some developers had agreements with Meridian Services to provide security patrols, but those patrols were not part of the Name and Shame campaign.

Currently about 60 builders were involved in the 10-year-old campaign, with Meridian handling investigations so police had one point of contact rather than 60.

‘It was originally started by builders because they were sick of the crime that was going on,’ Ms Weaver said.

Fast facts

ITEMS STOLEN COST30 water meters . . . . . . . . . .$746623 lintels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$292419 brickies hardware . . . . . .$477417 steel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$238713 timber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$459112 hot plates . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$698811 rangehoods . . . . . . . . . . . .$268810 cement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$27879 ovens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$69268 doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$1508

DAMAGE COST11 windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$34605 doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$9074 glass panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$8502 gyprock sheets . . . . . . . . . . .$3202 frames . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$3402 brickwork . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$4302 hardiflex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$3352 roofing hardware . . . . . . . . .$2292 onsite toilets . . . . . . . . . . . .$68001 oven . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$971

SUBURBSTHEFTS BURGLARIES DAMAGEButler 57 9 4Alkimos 11 16 2Clarkson 16 5 2Yanchep 6 5 n/aLandsdale 51 17 10Banksia Grove 37 2 10Burns Beach 14 3 2Pearsall 8 4 n/aCurrambine 8 7 2Girrawheen 4 n/a 2Darch n/a 10 n/aKoondoola n/a n/a 5Woodvale n/a n/a 1

For more information, visit www.nameandshame.com.au.