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Stop burglars & theft
Stop burglars & theft

THEFT!

Mark your property with

MicroDOTS

Stop Tradesman theft & protect your tools
TRADIES

General Summary

 

Many tradesmen have on-going problems with the theft of tools, equipment, plant, materials and other valuable items.  Often working from open ute canopies, open trailers and open toolboxes on construction and building sites, tradesmen are an easy target for opportunistic thieves.  It is commonly thought that criminals disburse much of the stolen property in exchange for cash and/or drugs as follows:

  • to less reputable tradesmen who buy the stolen items at a much lower price than otherwise available to them;

  • to second-hand distribution outlets in other states;

  • cut up and sold as scrap material for cash;

  • via eBay, pawnbrokers, car park markets, second-hand goods magazines & papers, etc.

 

If stolen items are subsequently discovered in any form, identifying the rightful owner has been nigh on impossible to date.  Serial numbers, id tags and painted identification are very easy to remove or disguise.  It also follows that those caught in possession cannot be charged with theft but with the much lesser charge of being in possession of stolen goods – and only if reasonable proof can be found.  This ensures large incentives remain for repeat crimes with little chance of the criminal being caught let alone charged with a significant offence.  As such, it has become a multi-million dollar annual problem for tradesmen right across Australia.

 

In addition to improved diligence over the “openness” of items to theft, a more comprehensive approach to loss prevention would involve tradesmen adopting a market reduction approach[1] to reduce the theft, loss or damage to property.  A key element of this approach is property marking.

 

Property marking has long been recognised as a crucial measure in discouraging and detecting crime and should therefore be considered when adopting a comprehensive loss prevention strategy.   MicroDOTS provide the simplest practical method of property marking available.

 

Property marking, associated signage and public education act to reduce the attractiveness of tradesmen’s assets to thieves by making them identifiable after the event.  No thief wants items that can be identified to their owner, so marked items quickly become very unattractive to would-be thieves and they will typically look for easier, less risky targets.

 

[1]     Australian Institute of Criminology. The market reduction approach to reducing property crime.  AICrime Reduction Matters No. 32. Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology.

MicroDOTS

Leading-edge MicroDOTS employ a metal substrate, which is electrically etched with a unique identifying code and cannot lose any information as a result of sunlight, high temperatures or usage time.  It is a very robust product and has significant advantages over older microdot technology, which typically uses a plastic substrate that is subject to destruction in sunlight and/or high temperatures, heavy degradation over usage time and de-lamination within its own adhesive after 6 or more months.  None of these issues exist with MicroDOTS.

 

MicroDOTS can range in size from 0.3mm to 3.0mm and can be packaged to mark items via a rapid application pressure-pak spray, very simply from a “brush-wand” applicator, or manually from a plastic jar.  Each MicroDOT contains a hologram, which is impossible to replicate (see image below).  In addition, each MicroDOT in a pack contains a chemically-etched unique PIN, which is subsequently registered against the owner of the marked property.  Warning labels and item stickers are included in MicroDOT Kits as overt announcements to a would-be thief that items are marked for Police identification.

 

MicroDOTS are simply a modern and very simple way to “engrave” property.  MicroDOTS are very easy to apply and then extremely difficult to detect and remove.  Items of all shapes and sizes can be marked with MicroDOTS in just a few seconds.  Used with warning labels and item stickers, MicroDOTS provide a very effective “hardening” layer of security for valuable property of any kind.

Graphic of an expanded MicroDOT

The MicroDOT Theft Deterrent Model for Tradies

Theft Schematic for Tradesmen

MicroDOT Dispensers

Brush-wand dispenser
Brush-wand dispensing MicroDOTS
MicroDOT plastic vials
MicroDOT Spray Can

MicroDOT identification kits are provided with a “brush-wand”, small plastic jar, and/or a can of propellant, each dispenser including the unique identifying MicroDOTS inside.  This identifying code on the MicroDOTS can be generic or can be produced with a holographic Company logo as the MicroDOT background.

 

MicroDOT identification kits, can be enhanced with the addition of supporting signage, warning labels & item stickers.  These supporting items provide overt announcements to would-be thieves that property is marked for Police identification.

 

Standard kits are provided with product support materials, such as Application & Registration Instructions.

MicroDOT identification kits provide a very fast, mobile and easy way to deliver identification to virtually any item that may be a target of theft.  They are most commonly used where there are items of value to be marked for identification as a primary loss prevention strategy.  Some items commonly marked are Laptops, PC’s, flat screens, digital projectors, whitegoods, and other office equipment & business assets.  Equally, the kits are also very useful for marking metal assets (particularly copper items), tools, plant, equipment, machinery & materials.  In fact, a MicroDOT solution can be effective in virtually any circumstance where there are items of real or intrinsic value that may be a target of theft.

Usage Summary – Tradies

  • Tool Boxes

  • Power Tools

  • Non-power Tools

  • Precision equipment

  • Generators

  • Compressors

  • Pumps

  • Ladders

  • Scaffolding

  • Power boards

  • Power cords

  • Copper Cables

  • Aluminium doors & window frames

  • Air conditioning units

  • Water Piping

  • Telecommunications cabling

  • Specialist scientific equipment

  • Other specific items of trade

  • Cars

  • Utes

  • Trucks

  • Trailers

  • PC’s

  • Laptops

  • Printers

  • Photo Copiers

  • TV’s

  • Audio-visual Equipment

  • Cameras

  • Mobile Phones

  • Private Assets:

    • Home contents

    • Private Vehicles

    • Motorcycles

    • Boats

    • Jet Ski's

    • Bicycles

Benefits

 

  • Mark (overtly and/or covertly) tools of trade and other valuables with unique MicroDOT identification.  With associated warning labels and stickers, this provides a unique “hardening” layer of security for each item.

  • Announce clearly to would-be thieves, Customers, suppliers, work associates, other tradies, sub-contractors and passers-by, that all tools of trade and other work assets are marked for Police identification with MicroDOTS.

  • Full commitment to the MicroDOT solution will significantly increase the risks involved to a would-be thief, in stealing any items of value.

  • Higher risk of theft and lower returns (in cash and/or drugs) for identifiable stolen property, will significantly reduce possibility of theft.

  • Less theft typically results in direct reductions in damage to other items (cars, utes, trailers, toolboxes, etc) caused as a direct result of theft.

  • Less chance of theft means far less chance of any physical confrontations with thieves, and feelings of safety are improved.

  • Less theft means less cost of replacements - leading to larger profits.

  • Ability to identify stolen items improves the potential for return of those items when found.

  • Identification of stolen items enables Police to upgrade charges against criminals caught with stolen property.

  • Identification of stolen items will improve conviction rate of criminals perpetrating theft.

  • Improved catch & conviction rate of criminals, is a significant disincentive for future occurrences of theft.

  • Potential for reduced annual insurance premiums.

MicroDOTS

Protect the Lot!

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