Theft prevention

Welcome to this months blog and a very Happy belated new year.

This months blog looks a monster so l have decided to release it in two parts ,this obviously is part one, l shall release the Hailsham CC part in a couple of weeks.

Welcome  to our first blog of 2019,this Month we are looking into machinery theft prevention ,as these Winter months are the perfect time for thief’s so we have to be more aware and the section on prevention .The real aim is to just raise our awareness and assess our own grounds security so we can take steps to reduce our risk of being picked out as a soft target.

We will also hear from Hailsham Cricket Club grounds manager (part two)on how they have over-Wintered and l will run through a few keys tasks to be considered on the squares for the months ahead.

Theft prevention

Above picture, simple but effective security measure.

Some sound advice below, direct from the Institute of Groundsman (IOG)on
Groundsman’s Sheds
Alarms – I strongly recommend that groundsman’s huts be alarmed; they often contain thousands of pounds worth of highly desirable and saleable equipment. The theft of this equipment could prove to be highly inconvenient to the club should it be stolen just before the ground has been prepared for an important game.
Physical security – a large number of groundsman’s huts are constructed of wood and therefore consideration should be given to reinforcing the walls and roof. Welded mesh sheets used in reinforcing concrete is the best way to reinforce the walls and roof, but if this is difficult to implement then simple welded mesh will provide pretty good security. Door frames should be given support with angle iron and doors secured by high security padlocks and not forgetting high security hasps and staples. Any windows in these huts should be securely boarded.
Machinery/Tools – the theft of mowers, small tractors and other agricultural equipment is on the increase, it is therefore very important that this equipment is made as least attractive as possible to a potential thief. It is unlikely that a club will sell on mowers or tractors and so marking this property with ‘property of —– Cricket Club’ in large letters with paint, will make the equipment a less attractive machine to steal. It is a fact that thieves avoid equipment that has been microchipped, so this may prove to be a good investment. Should the club decide to go down this route, notices stating that the property is microchipped should be prominently displayed, most reputable companies will supply these notices in any case.
Housekeeping – although it may be inconvenient, all equipment should be securely locked away at all times that the ground is unattended, even if the Groundsman is just popping home for lunch. A lot of equipment can ‘disappear’ in just a few minutes if an opportunist group of thieves are on the prowl.
Physical Security – outside doors should be of solid hardwood construction and fitted with a minimum of two five lever mortice locks set at one third and two thirds the height of the door, these keys may be ‘suited’ so that one key fits both locks (any competent locksmith will be able to provide this). Ideally windows should be fitted with retractable grilles fitted to the inside of the window so any potential intruder would have to overcome the grilles having already set off the alarm on breaking the window.

Some useful links below
https://www.intheknow.community/
This link will take you to a site where you can register you address and local details of crime will be emailed to you and with tips on crime prevention etc.

Above picture of a garage door heavy duty security bar

https://www.immobilise.com/about
This site sells sticker/inks ect which can be placed on machinery and which then can be traced back to your club if they are found by the police. If you think about it even if machines are found, how are the police able to trace them back to owners without out some form of identification.

https://www.sussex.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/rc/rural-crime/rural-crime-prevention/
Some useful advice on here.

https://www.pitchcare.com/news-media/security-and-theft.html
A great article ,there’s as a part two which is worth a read.

https://www.cesarscheme.org/
This scheme offers machinery tagging, some tags are as small as a grain of rice ,but a more realistic option is they offer a unique identification number plates , which if stolen will help police trace it back to your club. These tag plates are tamper proof , so selling on by the thief is less appealing.

https://www.wiltshirecricket.co.uk/club-development/facilities-and-funding/cricket-ground-security/
ECB (pdf)very comprehensive document on site security including clubhouse ,shed and general site security .

Feedback from local groundmen on shed security on there sites

Club to remain unnamed for security reasons.
1-Heavy roller is parked last in garage with keys removed
2-Garage doors have bolts which go several inches into the concrete floor
3-Shed doors have additional locking bars(as in picture above)

A few more ideas from another club
1-Pinned hinge stems with nails and a dob of weld to stop them being undone.
2-Used covered chains around gates as this is meant to clog grinding wheels although it does still leave a few links and the padlock exposed.

3-As strong a padlock and bracket as you can afford. We have also put additional bars/ gates across garage and entry doors.

4-.We have bought reinforcing mesh to fix on the inside of our shed. Might bugger the chain saw anyway, as a woodern shed.

Note -Our biggest deterrent seems to be a combination of burglar alarms and we have a good working relationship with our neighbours who keep a eye out .Leaving a parked vehicle on the ground when possible to make it look like someone is about,security floodlights are something we have considered.

I have started taking pictures and noting serial numbers when I can find them of our stuff but that only helps if they turn up somewhere and can be recovered.

Hopefully the above has given you some food for though as it has myself and there is a tip of two you can incorporate into your storage area ,not all the tips have to cost a lot and the price of replacing machines isn’t cheap so worthy of some though.
Hold the press-just heard of a padlock/alarm, thanks to a groundsman for a heads up that has a alarm fitted to it , worth at least checking it out.

Big thank you to the  unnamed groundsman who added something to this blog and without them for me, would not have been so relevant for grass root groundsman which this blog is largely aimed at.

Thanks for taking the time to read any questions please leave a comment below.

Brian