Commercial property theft continues to plague businesses across the United States, with over 4.5 million cases of larceny-theft reported in 2023 and commercial burglaries increasing nationwide. Additionally, 56% of small businesses reported theft in 2023, with 53% saying that the problem has gotten worse.
While most security efforts focus on protecting more obvious assets like equipment and inventory, criminals may also target overlooked items that can yield quick profits. Understanding which high-value items thieves target and implementing comprehensive, proactive security measures is essential for protecting your bottom line.
5 Unexpected Items That Are Valuable to Thieves
Commercial properties have numerous assets that criminals view as lucrative targets — and they are often items that business owners overlook in their security planning. Understanding what attracts thieves can help protect your property and prevent costly losses.
1. Copper Wire and Pipes
Copper theft is a national crisis, with the telecommunications industry alone experiencing more than 5,700 intentional incidents of theft and vandalism in relation to copper between June and December 2024.
Criminals target copper because of the rising demand for the metal in fast-growing sectors of the economy, such as renewable energy and data centers. With copper prices nearly hitting $15,000 per metric ton, thieves find irresistible value in this versatile chemical element. In particular, they target HVAC units, electrical rooms, construction sites, and utility areas where copper components are easily accessible.
When thieves strip copper from essential systems, businesses suffer losses like:
- Costly emergency repairs or replacements
- Immediate operational shutdowns
- Monetary losses due to shutdowns or missing equipment
- Increase in insurance premiums after reporting theft
- Safety hazards that can endanger employees and customers
2. Keys
Master keys, vehicle keys, and access cards are critical vulnerabilities that criminals exploit. These items give thieves tools for repeated, undetected access to your most valuable assets. A single stolen master key can compromise a facility’s security, while fleet vehicle keys grant access to company vehicles and sensitive information.
The risk escalates when criminals obtain access cards or key fobs controlling restricted areas. Once in possession, thieves can return repeatedly during off-hours, systematically targeting high-value storage areas, equipment rooms, or administrative offices while appearing authorized.
Key theft often goes undetected for extended periods, allowing criminals to maximize their opportunity while minimizing detection risk.
3. Company Vehicle License Plates
License plate theft is common because criminals use stolen plates to commit additional crimes while evading detection. Thieves frequently attach stolen plates to vehicles and use that vehicle as part of another crime, like a carjacking or robbery. The stolen plate makes it harder for authorities to track down the perpetrators.
For businesses with vehicle fleets, stolen plates create serious liability concerns. When criminals use your company’s plates during illegal activities, your business faces reputational damage, law enforcement complications, and potential legal issues that can persist long after the initial theft.
4. Lumber
Lumber theft continues to plague businesses across the United States. Construction site theft costs the industry up to $1 billion annually, with lumber as one of the most attractive targets for organized criminal operations. Storage yards and loading docks also provide easy access points.
Lumber is hard to trace, easy to resell, and simple to load into a truck and drive away, making it ideal for criminals seeking quick profits from commercial properties. Beyond the cost of replacing the stolen timber, lumber theft causes project delays, contract penalties, and workflow disruptions that compound financial losses.
5. Auto Equipment
While catalytic converter theft dominates the headlines, criminals increasingly target lesser-known auto equipment from vehicles that businesses often overlook, including:
- Toolboxes
- Ladder racks
- Lift gates
- Pickup truck tailgates
- Batteries, especially those of commercial trucks
- Fleet tracking devices and GPS units
- Specialized tools and diagnostic equipment that are left in service vehicles
Thieves remove these parts by targeting company vehicles, fleet lots, and maintenance areas. These items are portable, difficult to trace, and are desirable in resale markets.
The cumulative impact devastates business operations beyond replacement costs. When these items disappear, the incident disrupts operations, impacting productivity as employees scramble to search for or replace them. Additionally, it can take weeks to replace certain items and months to resolve these theft cases, leaving many unsolved.
How to Protect Your Property
Protecting your commercial property from these overlooked threats requires a comprehensive, multi-layered security strategy that addresses vulnerabilities before criminals can exploit them.
1. Get a Threat Assessment
Schedule a risk assessment with a perimeter security expert. They will identify vulnerabilities like access points, lighting conditions, and operational patterns that criminals might exploit. A comprehensive threat assessment forms the foundation of effective business security planning.
2. Install Perimeter Security Fencing and Alarm-Based Lighting
Electric security fencing delivers a safe but memorable pulsed shock to any would-be intruders. The fence also provides a visual deterrent to opportunistic thieves, complete with yellow signs that have the universally acknowledged symbol indicating electrification.
Integrated alarm-based lighting systems are activated when the electric fence itself goes into alarm, flooding the area with light. This immediate response alerts security personnel to the potential threat as well as deters intruders.
3. Deploy Video Surveillance and Monitoring
Strategic camera placement provides comprehensive coverage of vulnerable areas. When placed around the perimeter, video surveillance cameras help capture compelling footage that can be used in investigations.
Remote monitoring ensures a rapid response if a security incident occurs, since your site is monitored 24/7. Remote access capabilities allow managers to check their property from anywhere, at any time.
4. Implement Access Control Systems
Gate Access Control uses electronic locks, credential readers, and tracking technology to prevent unauthorized entry while maintaining operational efficiency. Restricting access to your property and tracking all gate entries and exits eliminates opportunities for key theft and unauthorized access to high-value items.
5. Establish Security Protocols
Establish clear protocols for securing tools, materials, and vehicles at the end of every shift. Implement accountability measures, including sign-out procedures for keys and equipment, designated parking for fleet vehicles, and end-of-day security checklists.
6. Train Your Employees
Comprehensive training empowers your workforce to recognize threats, properly manage keys, and report suspicious activity. Routine training reinforces security awareness and creates a culture where every employee contributes to a common mission. Employees who understand their role in preventing theft become a critical part of your security posture.
Secure Your Business With AMAROK
Protecting your business is about more than securing the big-ticket items. It involves ensuring the safety of all people and all assets within your premises. Even everyday items like copper pipes, license plates, keys, and auto equipment are lucrative targets for criminals.
AMAROK’s unified security solutions combine The Electric Guard Dog™ Fence with advanced access control technology, surveillance cameras, remote monitoring, and more to deliver proven protection. In fact, 99% of our customers experience zero external theft after installation.
Contact us today and see how our multi-layered perimeter security solutions can safeguard your business.
