With the building and construction industry crime at an all-time low, it would be nice to think that this is the ‘new normal’. In fact, community crime reports, in general, have been reducing substantially with the introduction of the regional border and business closures impacted by COVID-19.

Compared to pre-COVID months, published WA Police statistics of residential and commercial burglaries indicate reports are down over 50%. Stealing is down 45%, with damage reports showing a slight decrease and graffiti a slight increase. Crime In regional WA has seen even more significant declines, with towns like Kalgoorlie experiencing a 71% reduction in burglaries!

When compared with reported building and construction industry crime, the trends have been similar. Although, reductions didn’t start until mid-April as the construction industry continued to work through restriction periods.

As can be seen above, there have been variations in report numbers over the past 12 months. Several factors generally impact these numbers. Multiple arrests after high crime periods will see a reduction in reported crime soon after. The industry shutdown over the Christmas period usually results in a December decrease; with increased reporting on return to work in January. September 2019 and May 2020 saw a considerable reduction in crime after multiple offenders were charged with building site crime. With the COVID-19 restrictions starting to impact the whole of the WA community, August and September statistics showed burglaries were down a whopping 80% and stealing over 65%.

So why do we see this welcomed reduction in crime?

With the WA border closure on April 5th and the Federal Government income support packages commencing early April, we have a couple of theories.

It is without a doubt that increased arrests will see a reduction in crime, but with an $1100 to $1500 fortnightly Government payment, potential offenders maybe haven’t needed to supplement their income with the selling or bartering of stolen goods.

Also, the WA borders closure have made it extremely difficult to transport illegal drugs, and precursor chemicals to manufacture drugs, into WA. Drug usage is one of the main contributors to industry crime, and Illicit drugs are currently very tough to source in WA. According to an ABC News report on May 29, the Palmerston Alcohol & Drug Rehabilitation service stated that according to users, Methylamphetamine had more than doubled in price, since the border closure due to lack of supply.

More than likely, it is a combination of both the lack of drug supply and increased income support payments. Unfortunately for the building and construction industry, we do not see this curve continuing downward. With income support packages reducing in October, we may start to see increased crime in line with the increased building activity. Marry this with the opening of the WA borders, and the ensuing influx of drugs; we believe we will see a considerable spike in building and construction industry crime in the coming months.

Just as we are settling into our “new normal” as we’ve had to do with so many things during this pandemic, The building industry needs a plan. The industry is likely to have enough challenges in what will be the busiest 12-24 months, without having to deal with the headaches associated with increased crime within the building industry.

As we have always advocated in our work towards reducing building and construction industry crime, the most crucial aspect is the actual reporting of ALL incidents of crime. The numbers don’t lie, reporting crime will assist in the identification of high crime areas and high-risk assets, which will, in turn, allow PACT and Police resources to be allocated to these areas. This will assist in the identification of offenders, increase criminal charges, and provide an overall reduction in crime.

To create this ‘new normal’, the building industry needs to take a proactive approach in recognizing and addressing potential crime issues within the industry. This means putting measures in place to reduce or prevent criminal activities . It is also important that every organization within the industry educates their workforce on identifying criminal behaviour and reporting it promptly. Moreover, clear policies and procedures should be established that explain how an incident should be reported and managed.

By proactively approaching crime prevention in the building industry, organizations can create a safer work environment for employees and customers which will lead to better customer service and job satisfaction. Creating a culture of “No Tolerance to Crime” will also help create a sense of trust between organizations, customers and suppliers which will ultimately benefit the entire industry.

Call 1800 272 836 or go HERE to discuss how you can assist your business and the industry reduce crime.

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The New Normal ? Or the Calm Before the Storm?