Real Life Security Situation- Help needed

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AndyJ

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Hi all,

This is not a scenario or a make believe situation and I need some good ideas.

Background: My brother and I do excavation work in some pretty remote areas all over Texas. Think big ranches, lakes, roads, infrastructure etc. We live onsite in 3 RVs - a total of 5 people. All the RVs have long guns, all the trucks have long guns. Most times we have to prepare the site as far as parking, electric, water and septic. We have multiple vehicles and pieces of equipment which we usually consolidate in the equipment area. Bulldozers, backhoes, scrapers, mules, service trucks, tractors and up to 2000 gallons of fuel.

Security has never been a problem. We are situationally aware but always in the past it has never been an issue. Sure, a wayward hunter, coon hunters chasing a lost dog, curious neighbors who want to see what all the commotion is or an occasional drunk on a Saturday night has been about it.


However, we are about to start a job that has me edgy. The first time we went to check out the site I got an uneasy feeling and mentioned to my brother that I thought we were going to have a problem. It is in a very poor and very remote area. We will be seen as strangers, we will be seen as having lotsa stuff, we will be seen as taking away work from the locals. Sorta reminds me of Deliverance in a way.

This was driven home THIS week. Here is the setup. 800 acres of heavily wooded unfenced land. There is a wide pipeline right of way that cuts the property in two and enters and leaves the property at each end at a county road. It looks to be traveled to some extent. Several old deer blinds along the right of way. This week we moved one dozer in and cut a road in and had it rocked. This will be the right of way as well for the electric and water lines. The road is almost a mile long and terminates at the pipeline right of way. The RV/ Equipment Park is going to be about 1/4 mile before you get to the pipline right of way. That puts us over 1/2 mile up this driveway.

No RVs or other equipment is on site yet except for the one dozer. We will mobilize and move in full blast right after Christmas. We set a post and chained the entrance the first day. That night, somebody backed a pickup truck in and pulled the post up and dragged it away so it appears my premontion might have been valid.

I am not so worried about a threat of personal injury as I am worried about vandalism/theft issues. We are not a big outfit and can't afford security guards and chain link fence etc.

How would you secure the location? How would you protect from theft/vandalism or possible bodily harm? I have some odeas but I am curious to see what you come up with.
 
That's a touchy situation. Sorry, but the only thing I can think of is an armed security guard on-site.
 
i would try to make friends with the couple closest property owners. when you clear trees ask if they would like some loads of logs for firewood and ask em to keep an eye out call if they see anything give em some wood up front and promise more before you leave. . motivate em to want you happy
 
making friends with the neighbors?

Well I do happen to live in texas and understand your situation completely. I hate to say but a good part of my problem may be the neighbors. I have had equipment stolen and vandelized over the past few years and the only thing that law enforcement has been able to do is take the report and tell me I need a security system, but I am a small operator also and the expense is not an option. The best on site security I have found is to fence in the equipment and let the dogs do their best to keep them out. I have had a few dogs beaten by someone trying to gain access but as yet everything fenced is intact and I think the dogs are getting better at their job. My only other option will be game cameras set up not to flash so atleast I will have momentos of the ones doing the stealing and etc. Hope you dont have much more trouble.
 
cassandrasdaddy, I agree.

rondog, good point and it might be best to become friends with the local law and see if any retired LEOs, would like to do this for some extra money.
Maybe some off duty LEOs would be interested as well.

Local folks know the locale and people, and are not considered "outsiders" as would a armed security brought in from elsewhere.

Nonetheless, I would ask LEOs to stop by when in the area, if they would please.

-
Secure the sight and give a presence of being secure.

Bring in a "office" such as small portable barn, and let this be the central idea of "office", "super", "security", with lights on and it looking all serious.

Portable fencing, can have various signs warning of "electric fences" or other "hazards".

Erect some poles, string some wire and have lighting, and some cameras, I am not saying these have to actually work, still if one views cameras and this Office, it might dissuade someone from breeching the portable fence.

Heck, get a uniform from a Thrift Store and fill it to make a scarecrow, and have this shadow in the office from time to time.
Put another in a vehicle not being used in the shadows, and again give the impressions someone is watching and keeping tabs.

Some LEO Depts have done this with old cars, to get Speeders to slow down, by placing marked cars in curves, or in blind spots , with Scarecrow Cop behind the wheel with a pair of sunglasses on, and fake radar gun on the dash.

You can get as hi tech as need, still do not forget low tech, such as Baby Monitors, game cameras and even digging ditches one cannot drive over .
Some Timber companies and Construction companies building in remote areas do this.
It takes dropping metal cattle gates to cross or similar.

Buddy system is recommended, this sounds dumb, but two sets of senses are better than one and also means two folks are less inviting a target than two or more.

Communication is important, so everyone lets everyone else know where they are going and when to expect them back.
Yes, use simple codewords to communicate if trouble is nigh, without letting trouble know others have been made aware and the Law is en route. LEOs in area need to know these codewords too.
 
i bought a piece of land in wva part of a larger parcel owned by the local "bad family". i put a place on it kept truck there and no one ever bothered my stuff. i went outa my way to be the guys friend. made it so it was more profitable to have me their friend than steal from me.
 
I am a contractor in Ohio. Check into tattletail alarm systems. They have loops that can secure equipment and many options for other sensors. I have used these to secure job sites, including some that have been frequented by theives.

You can set them up to call the Police, or just call you if someting is set off. They work well. They do require a cell signal. On some jobs with the tattletail I will set up noise makers, that actually do not report back to the base unit. This works to set up a perimeter, without having a lot of nuisance calls. Then set the real sensors inside of these, so that if anyone approaches further, the real alarm calls out. This has been very effective for me, and has reduced thefts to ZERO!
 
Thanks for the replies everyone. The neighbor thing is a touchy situation. In the past, we have had strained relationships with the neighboring property owners at best. In every case, we are hired by an out of towner-- wealthy doctors, lawyers, business owners who are not natives to the area and have bought large tracts of property for weekends or to retire to. There is resentment, outright animosity and disdain from most of them. One job we worked last year had no water available. We tried contacting the neighbors to see of we could get water and they would never even answer the door.

The location is 18 miles form the closest *small* town. One of the positive points is that we always live on site -sometimes seven days a week. We are getting a security light installed on the pole that will house all the RV electrical outlets. That should light the entire area. I have also considered cameras - fake and otherwise and a driveway monitor.

As far as hiring locals for security, I am hesitant. People talk, people in small towns talk alot about anything new and different. I think it best we try to keep to ourselves and fly below the radar whenever possible.

The tone of my messages may imply I don't care for small town Texas. The opposite is true; in every instance prior to this one of our biggest pleasures was starting a new job and mingling with the local community for a month or two. Rural Texas is an awesome place.

This place isn't awesome. I don't think I would want to live there at all.

Thanks for the help! Any more ideas?
 
A few things might help:
Put up a sign by the public road, with your company's name, a phone #, and a statement like "Any questions? Please call ____." Put a pro-American image on the sign, like an American flag. List a local address (the local gas station if the owner will agree to let you 'receive mail' there for a few weeks, or even just the cheapest PO box at the local post office).

I'd post no tresspassing signs about a quarter of a mile in (and photodocumenting them in case they get ripped down): far enough in so that passerbys won't be offended or bother ripping them down. Posting the area will put you on firmer footing if something happens. If you catch a local vandalizng your RV, he might say 'oh, I was just taking a stroll down the new road because I was curious,and these bad men from out of town accosted me because they want to blame me for the tires that were slashed before I got here.'

Would it be feasible to dig a moat? Something that too steep to drive a truck over, and too long to drive around? In theory, you could get it right so that somebody wouldn't want to risk his truck in it, but you could still get in and out. Or I fantasize that you could rig up a bridge, or use the dozer each time, or have just one car parked on the other side. If it were 25 or 50 feet back from the main road it wouldn't be particularly noticeable until somebody was tresspassing.
 
Well AndyJ I think you and your brother we will call him "Nick" should hire me to come do security on the place! Maybe even get me a tacticool shotgun? Anyways real stuff though I know the kinda remote places your talking about we call them "Bare Bases" always want to set security up first, look around see where the best avenues of approach are including the road! Might have to spread out a little depending on how open the area is to cover them all. Don't spread far enough the others couldn't hear a yell or a shot! If it's a small area then bunch up close with you equip in the middle Set up whatever you can to deter, I'm not saying boobie or man traps because those are illegal but if you can find trip flares at a local Army Navy store they work great they make allot of noise and light. Most criminals are lazy and will use the Easy way in and out! And wont be looking for them! Use a fence around the equip sounds like a great idea but depending how long you will be there and the cost effective versus would be a definite. I do like the ideas of the Game Cameras there not super expensive and they work well!
 
If you are concerned about theft of equipment, look into the inexpensive (~$300) GPS tracking devices. Attach one with magnets (or whatever else works) to any major piece of equipment.

You can track the unit's location on line (monthly access fee is usually $20-30).
 
AndyJ said:
However, we are about to start a job that has me edgy.
Click to expand...

OK, this is going to sound nutty, but I think SM and others will agree with the over all point.

How do you know that it is the possible criminal element or the SIGHT itself? I have been in the woods / remote areas and have come across places that were creepy, places that are evil and you can feel it. Bad aura's or something. If it is the sight, for instance like an indian grave yard (just an example) you can have a Catholic priest come out and bless the site.

Seriously, laugh all you want, but it works. I worked for a company were relocated from one warehouse to the next, the place felt cold, drafty, dank and just overall depressing. We lost workers, had horrible luck, even though we were previously very successful. I had a catholica priest come out (I am not catholic and the owners were Jewish) and things immediatly changed for us.

If you are worried about criminals, then bring you a residence trailer out there with a Dog and live on sight.

It doesn't matter if you are religious or not. There are things in life that people do not (and possible will never) understand.
 
I have three recommendations:

1) Renege on the job and find another one, or

2) Call your insurance agent and be sure that you have as much coverage on everything as you can get. Lower your deductibles if possible.

3) Rent lights and stagger your hours so you keep the job running 24x7 until it's done.
 
Since you are going to live on the sight till the job is done it seems you need an alarm of some sort.

Way back I bought a personal jogging alarm from radio shack. It is loud and is activated when you pull the pin out. I hooked it up to my garage door till I got proper locks. If you live on sight and had one of these you could run fishing line down the road and across a large area. If someone/something trips the line it would set off the alarm and alert you. Probably be less than thirty bucks total for fishing line and the alarm.
 
Plankowner Warning : Darn it !

Folks,
I suggest some folks chill out about "guns" and "booby traps", in the context of getting someone hurt or killed!

This is The Highroad and we do NOT suggest illegal activities or such behaviors.

Problem 2 is real and if Andy J were to follow some suggestions in replies, he and his would end up in prison, lose the business and financially ruin their families, and families lives.

This is Strategy & Tactics, not Hollywood Action Movies 101 , or How to write Videos Games Section 1301-60

--

Ohio Gun Guy wrote:
I am a contractor in Ohio. Check into tattletail alarm systems. They have loops that can secure equipment and many options for other sensors. I have used these to secure job sites, including some that have been frequented by theives.
Click to expand...

Ohio Gun Guy,

Informative post, thank you!
I am not familiar with this system , or at least I do not recognize it by this name.
I will have to conduct a search to learn more.
 
+1 to backing out of the job. There is no shame in backing out of unsafe working conditions. If you are hardpressed to find work and this is all you've got...then just smile and tough it out. If you are going to be living onsite I would recommend possibly taking different shifts on "guard" duty.
 
Folks,
I suggest some folks chill out about "guns" and "booby traps", in the context of getting someone hurt or killed!
Click to expand...

I agree-- I appreciate the good intentions BUT the facts are we are professionals and have a signed contract to fulfill. It wouldn't look very good to the new (rather naive) landowner if we turned his job site into the New Alamo.

I checked out the Tattletail Alarm Systems and they look very promising.

I only want to accomplish two things--

FIRST: A physical presence - inline with normal and everyday security procedures- which will notify an uninvited guest we have a proactive security plan.

SECOND: I do not want to be surprised.

Within those 2 guidelines there have been several good ideas. How about some more input?
 
The "booby traps" I mentioned use BLANKS, not live rounds. They make NOISE, not injuries. They'll ALERT you and SCARE the intruders. Nobody's suggesting setting up claymores around the site.
 
Thanks for the replies everyone. The neighbor thing is a touchy situation. In the past, we have had strained relationships with the neighboring property owners at best. In every case, we are hired by an out of towner-- wealthy doctors, lawyers, business owners who are not natives to the area and have bought large tracts of property for weekends or to retire to. There is resentment, outright animosity and disdain from most of them. One job we worked last year had no water available. We tried contacting the neighbors to see of we could get water and they would never even answer the door.
Click to expand...

I know it can be rough - but if you can get through to talk to someone locally - the way to go about it is to explain that you're in the same boat as they are (even though you're really not).

Since the out-of-town landowner is out-of-town, you simply become a proxy for the locals' frustrations. If you can somehow disconnect yourself from being that proxy - explain to them that you're just a guy trying to do a job, a lot of people I think will at least sympathize with that. It's not your property, you're just trying to make a paycheck. Can't really fault somebody for that. If you can sort of get that across somehow - I think most people would back off and cut you some slack.
 
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