They already have to endure theft from construction sites, which represents more than a billion euros in losses each year, according to estimates from the National Building Federation. The craftsmen’s vans in which they transport all their tools are also a prime target for criminals. In Brittany, the gendarmerie is warning of an increase in thefts recorded in recent months in utility vehicles.
To get their hands on equipment and portable electrical equipment with batteries, often of high value, stored in vans, thieves have a well-established and very rapid technique. “They drill a hole under the lock of the rear door of the vehicle or tear off the cylinder, enter the passenger compartment and steal all of the equipment,” explains the gendarmerie. The merchandise is then quickly sold in consignment stores, on websites or other parallel markets.
Thefts often committed during lunch break
These thefts are often the work of well-organized gangs who take advantage of the lunch break to enter vehicles parked on public roads or on construction sites. Thefts have also been reported at night in front of owners’ homes or in business yards. Faced with this scourge for the profession, the gendarmes therefore call on craftsmen to be extremely vigilant, advising them in particular to “park the vehicle so that the rear door is against a wall and cannot be accessed.” “, to “pause an alarm on the vehicle” or to “limit the quantity of material stored inside the vehicle”.
In April 2023, five individuals were indicted by the Specialized Interregional Jurisdiction of Rennes for organized gang theft. Originally from Seine-Saint-Denis and Seine-et-Marne, they were accused of more than 250 thefts of power tools in the utilities of craftsmen or building professionals with damage estimated at more than 500,000 euros.
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