Stealing Signs

Mikael A. Farris, a senior loss control representative in the Loss Control & Safety Department for Hortica Insurance & Employee Benefits, had a client that was hit with a rash of burglaries in which seemingly innocuous materials were stolen: bags of mulch, potting soil, shovels, rakes and a chemical sprayer. It may seem like an odd heist, but it is a typical example of how equipment theft affects nurseries.

“It was almost like the thieves were starting their own business,” Farris said. “There is no particular thing that always gets stolen. It’s usually a lot of different things at the same time.”

Nursery Management spoke with Farris about what growers can do to protect their business against equipment theft.

Keep your keys close
Control key access. If you have a remote fence or gate that opens, don’t just give a copy to every employee.

“The more copies you make, the greater the chance one gets misplaced or lost,” Farris said.

Make sure your employees don’t leave their keys in their trucks during their daily deliveries. When they get out and unload plant material, 1) the truck can get stolen, and 2) the thieves have whatever other keys are on that key chain. Your logo is probably on the truck, so thieves know where to go to break in and they have a key to your gate, or even the office.

Don’t make it easy
Don’t leave valuable equipment out in the open where someone can peer over a fence and see it. Lock it up and hide it. Rooms without windows or with blacked out windows or garages are good choices.

If you have a drop safe, make sure it is bolted down. If you don’t, anyone can just walk in and take it, which defeats the purpose.

You might think you’re being clever by using dummy video cameras. Sure, an average thief may be fooled, but your employees will know that the camera is not live.

“It’s almost impossible to protect against an employee who gets laid off or is fired and wants to retaliate,” Farris said. “They know where to go and they know what you have.”

So what can be done to prevent internal theft? If there is something you don’t want employees to know about, don’t tell them. If there are areas they don’t need to be in, restrict access to those areas.

Although time-consuming, this tactic can pay off: record the serial numbers or PINs on equipment and label tools. It’s much more difficult to resell or pawn stolen equipment if it has a company logo or serial number etched into it. Plus, the serial numbers will help the police track the theft.

Plan for the worst
If a theft does occur, make sure your employees don’t try to take justice into their own hands.

“Awareness training really can help employees know what to do and what not to do,” Farris said. “For instance, if you’re on the property and someone walks in with a gun and asks for everything in the cash register, don’t be a hero. Give them what they want, let them leave and then call the police. Make sure they think about their personal safety and the safety of everyone else in the nursery.”

Preparing for these scenarios is important, because thieves will drive a truck though your fence, or take bolt cutters to your locks to purloin their target.

“If someone wants something bad enough, they will do whatever they can to get it,” Farris said. “It’s your job to make it as impossible as you can for them.”