The Management of Theft and Vandalism on Construction Jobsites in the Southern Region of Malawi

Abstract

The phenomenon of theft and vandalism on construction job sites in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has not been fully explored to guarantee the implementation of evidence-based security management practices (SMPs) to minimise losses and improve projects' profitability margins. This study investigated the management of theft and vandalism by large contractors in the Southern Region of Malawi to identify implementation issues that need improvement. A quantitative approach using an empirical survey-based questionnaire was adopted. 44 SMPs identified from the literature review were tested by data collected from a sample survey of 40 large contractors in the Southern Region of Malawi. The descriptive statistical method of mean score ranking was used to analyse the data through IBM Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0. Among the five-point Likert scale agreement measurements used, 11 SMPs were found to be "always used", 12 SMPs "often used", 15 SMPs "sometimes used", and six SMPs "rarely used". Overall, the top three highly ranked SMPs (in descending order) were inventorying construction materials, tools and equipment, termination of employment for offenders, and reporting theft and vandalism to enforcement agencies. Contrariwise, the use of closed-circuit television (CCTV), alarm systems and access control systems (ACS) was the least ranked SMPs. The contractors’ management improvements for theft and vandalism would need to focus on implementing proactive anti-theft and anti-vandalism SMPs whose choice should be informed by comprehensive Jobsite security risk assessment. Dissemination of the results may help contractors understand their security management strategies and implement practical solutions for curbing theft and vandalism on job sites to minimise its endemic effect on contractors’ financial performance.

Theft and Vandalism Control Measures on Construction Sites

“…Vandalism is the crime of destroying or damaging something or property deliberately and for no good reason (Farinloye et al, 2013). Vandalism is generally a nuisance crime on construction sites, broken glass, graffiti, destruction of in-place materials and damage to construction equipment (Simukonda, & Kamwela, 2021).…”

“…Over the past 20 years, theft and vandalism incidents in the construction industry have evolved from straightforward theft and vandalism of tools and fixtures to more sophisticated crimes that target expensive building assets (Simukonda, & Kamwela, 2021). The impacts of theft and vandalism have an impact on the contractor both directly and indirectly (Simukonda, & Kamwela, 2021).…”

“…To lower costs related to theft and vandalism and to boost profitability, steady business growth, and stability, contractors must create appropriate security management strategies. Additionally, they are pressured to implement Security Management Practices (SMPs) (Simukonda, & Kamwela, 2021). Several strategies have been employed by other writers to reduce vandalism and theft at construction sites.…”