How to protect your van from tool theft this bank holiday weekend

Mark with PB Plumber at Armorgard to promote the #noVANber campaign.

Did you catch this BBC story reporting an interview with a police officer from Avon and Somerset Police who said he refuses to "throw taxpayers' money around as a placebo" to investigate tool theft amid complaints of an "epidemic" in Bristol.

While some of the remarks made in this interview were at best tactless, the fact is, no security measures, however good, will deter a determined thief. That said, most van and tool thefts are opportunistic, which is why it’s important to deter the opportunistic thief.

Here are a few simple measures you can take to protect your van and livelihood over the Easter bank holiday weekend:

• Park your van tightly into a corner, or close to another vehicle, to protect the rear and side doors.

• Remove your most important and expensive tools. The WorkMo (available in different sizes) is excellent for storing and transporting your most important tools as is the LS-BOXX 306 G.

• Secure your van with a combination of physical and digital locks.

• Make sure your van security is visible. Use van stickers to say that no tools are left in your van overnight.

• Make sure you have a record of your tools and cargo. Take pictures, and store receipts securely. A great app to help you store your photos and copies of receipts is Evernote.

• Mark your tools with a UV pen.

• Invest in a van alarm.

• Get a tool security box like the Armorgard collection. There’s a large selection on the market. If you need advice on the right tool security box for you, give us a call and we’d be happy to advise.

Finally, a reminder to sign the #noVANber petition if you haven’t done so already. 

What advice do you have for fellow tradespeople to help them to protect their van from tool theft?Let us know in the comments box below.