Stopping cable theft

INCIDENTS of cable theft have soared in recent years, with the cost of replacing stolen cable estimated to be at over £6 million a year. In an attempt to combat the rising tide of ‘cable crime’ around the country – fuelled by the increasing cost of scrap metals – which has seen the price of copper more than trebled since 2004, security specialists Tag Guard have launched CableTag, a wireless CCTV system designed to prevent and detect cable theft.

‘We have developed the new CableTag system in response to the significant increase in enquiries from companies up and down the country, who have experienced the theft of copper cable and other metal-based materials from criminals who want to cash in on their high scrap value,’ explained Richard Lang, managing director of Tag Guard.

‘In locations, such as quarries, it is not always practical to install CCTV or cost-effective to have 24h manned guarding. But these are sites where cable is often stored or left lying around while work is in progress, leaving them highly vulnerable to theft.’

CableTag operates in the same way as conventional CCTV, but without the need for cabling, thereby making it much quicker, easier and simpler to install. No phone lines are required and the wireless CCTV system can be redeployed in any new location, reducing overall security costs.

Tag Guard also offer a dedicated 24h central monitoring service that can alert on-site security, mobile patrols or the police to any incident. To provide a further deterrent to on-site cable theft, CableTag can be used in conjunction with the wireless TagAlarm system.