The Bradley County Sheriff’s Office encourages citizens to be proactive preventing thefts and burglaries. One of the easiest things you can do is become an active part of a Neighborhood Watch program to learn about ways to protect your property and your neighbors’. It starts with always locking your car and your home while you’re away.

Most thefts from vehicles involve articles of value such as laptop computers, cell phones, and cash that are easily visible from outside the vehicle and almost all were unlocked. Securing your vehicle and having the keys in your possession are two of the best deterrents to loosing the things you worked hard for to a thief.

From time to time, large earth-moving equipment is stolen.

The BCSO has been asked to alert individuals and businesses that use construction equipment that thefts across the country are at an all time high and more thefts are expected over the Labor Day weekend.

The organization National Equipment Register cites statistics that show the increase in the theft of heavy equipment during the summer. It attributes the increase to organized rings.

Thefts have been reported on farms, at job sites, and at equipment dealers.

With work sites unattended for the three-day Labor Day weekend the Register believes a number of thefts could occur across the country.

They offer these suggestions to owners of heavy equipment as ways to deter theft:

1. Do not leave machines on unfenced properties or job sites over the weekend. Where possible, move machines to yards or locate a secure lot near the sites where you can temporarily store the machines, such as a car dealership or storage yard.

2. Disable machines that have to be left. Have field service mechanics remove battery cables, pull fuses, relays or ignition circuits, or remove tires. Make use of lock up devices that prevent operation - see www.equipmentlock.com for examples. Be sure lighting works to expose activity on a site, not facilitate it. Recent thefts were not deterred by portable chain link fences, which were merely pushed aside or unbolted. Have a second line of defense.

3. Leaving a machine or materials loaded on a trailer invites theft- even if secured within a yard. If trailers must be left loaded, implement additional security measures to preclude theft. Set the frame on jack stands or cribs, remove the hitch or use a hitch lock, and park the trailer away from the gate.

4. Designate an employee or supervisor to make a random check of sites throughout the holiday- particularly Saturday. Be sure this person knows what machines, tools and materials should be at each site so that missing property is not overlooked, and can be reported quickly and accurately.

5. Do not leave job boxes or small equipment at sites.

6. Contractors and sub-contractors should advise site security guards if any activity is expected over the holiday as thieves are often familiar with the work site and may even have credentials that they should be on the site or moving equipment. Be certain guards have a contact number so that they can alert you as needed.

7. Let employees know that management will be making spot checks of job sites - let employee gossip work to your advantage. You might even mention you are testing a new GPS system or secret identification device over the weekend.

8. Thieves have turned to construction and agricultural sites as easier targets than gas stations for fuel theft. Try not to have fuel trucks top off machines until Sunday or Monday, and this weekend may be a good time to rotate in new tank locks. When grouping machines, be sure the fuel tank is facing the street - do not hide it on an unobserved side providing cover to thieves.

9. Post signs with an emergency contact number, and signs that say you offer a reward for information on thefts or vandalism at a site. Signs can also let the thief know that patrols are in the area and that machine serial numbers are recorded on National Equipment Register's databases and are accessible to police 24 hours-a-day. Signs are available from CICP (www.cicpp.com)

10. Contact your local police patrol commander to advise them whether activity should be taking place on your site or at your yard. Provide a 24-hour contact number in case something comes up at your site. If this was done at the start of your project, now would be a good time to refresh that line of communication. Print up a handout with the job address, pictures of your equipment and emergency phone numbers that can be handed out at roll call.

11. If there is a 24-hour convenience store or gas station across from your site or yard, stop in to let them know you will make it worth their while to notify you or the police of any suspicious activity. Provide them with a flier with pictures of your equipment and your emergency contact info.

12. Be ready to make a report of any theft, graffiti or vandalism as soon as it is discovered. Before an incident occurs know which agency to call, have an accurate list of equipment serial numbers, and know which machines are at which site. Report the incident immediately to police and call NER with thefts for inclusion in the NER database and regional distribution as a theft alert to law enforcement and industry contacts.

For local folks Bradley County has a number of active Neighborhood Watch groups. Sheriff Tim Gobble said any person or group that wants to learn more about starting a Neighborhood Watch association can contact the sheriff’s office main number, 728-7300.

If you are a crime victim report it immediately by calling the Communication Center’s non-emergency number, 728-7311.