As those of you who a) saw our previous blog post or b) have been unfortunate enough to have had their tools stolen will know, tool theft remains a serious issue for tradespeople nationwide – from Maidstone to Manchester, from Stornoway to St Ives.
And as the nights get longer, so does the criminals’ window of opportunity. There’s a noticeable rise in van break-ins during the darker, winter months. Last year alone, tool theft incidents were 46% higher in October than in April. That means vehicle security is vital – but it’s not the whole story.
There’s a growing movement within the industry to combat the issue of tool theft from vehicles, and we’re delighted to be part of that. In collaboration with law enforcement, industry leaders and tradespeople, we’re pushing for a simple yet powerful solution: tool marking.
Tool marking?
Yes! It may sound too easy, but it works! If you’ve ever lived in a flat share and had a communal fridge, you’ll recognise the importance straight away. If you don’t mark what’s yours, then that pack of bacon you’ve been saving for Saturday’s fry up won’t make it past Thursday. And remember how your mum wrote your name in the back of your coat so it didn’t get pinched at school? Mums know… and it’s no different with tools.
OK, so it’s a BIT different with tools, but not much.
The case for tool marking
For those of you who haven’t seen our tool marking blog post, it’s a simple yet vital step in the fight back against theft. Tools that are marked with identifiable information are easier for police to trace and return to their rightful owners. Yet, many stolen tools remain unclaimed because they don’t have any unique markings at all.
It's a critical component of the Equipment Theft Prevention Bill, which aims to make sure tool theft is punished with harsher penalties. While the bill focuses mainly on large equipment like farming machinery, tradespeople are advocating for the inclusion of power tools—a move that could give much-needed protection for those of us in the trade.
Recently, we’ve been out and about, raising awareness and showing everyone how we can help in the fight against tool theft by marking our tools, and making them easier to track, easier to trace and, ultimately, easier to return
Back in August we visited our friends at Ford UK, for an incredible #StopToolTheft event at their Dunton site as part of Ford’s Transit Day. As well as bringing together tradespeople, industry influencers, police, and industry leaders to address the urgent issue of tool theft, we also
- Demonstrated some innovative security solutions like factory-fit van locks.
- Discussed the importance of tool marking to improve police recovery rates.
- Shared insights from our Tell TVL community about real-world theft prevention
Attendees left the event armed with knowledge, plus tools designed to better protect their livelihoods. One critical takeaway? Marking your tools significantly increases the chances of recovery if they are stolen.
More recently, in November, we joined forces with the Metropolitan Police for two tool-theft prevention events at hardware stores across the South East. It’s the perfect location to talk to the target audience, get first-hand accounts of the problems people face and show them how we can help!
The first of these was at Toolstation in Charlton, London. Featuring tool-marking demos and our fully fitted-out van showcasing our most effective and popular products, it was a great opportunity to showcase the best ways to keep your vehicle – and your tools – safe.
We followed up with a visit to Screwfix, Crayford where the TVL van was joined by its impressive Metropolitan Police counterpart as we ran though best practices and top tips on security so the good people of Bexley had some practical takeaways to reduce the chances of them falling victim to tool or vehicle theft.
Then our Safer Neighbourhood roadshow travelled with the Metropolitan Police to Screwfix Sidcup, to share knowledge and know-how with live lessons in tool marking and expert advice on tap.
On the road: December
As we continue the fight against tool theft, we’re gearing up for our biggest showcase yet, our Mass Tool Marking Event on December 17, 2024, at Toolstation Bow, London. Bringing together tradespeople, industry leaders, and community advocates alike – including friend of TVL and tool safety advocate The Gas Expert – it’s set to be a game-changer.
An incredible list of companies are supporting, including Unilite, Repair Care International, Armorgard Ltd, CT1 - The Snag List Eliminator, Talon Manufacturing, Big Wipes, Velocity Pro Gear, Tool Monster, Toolstation, Testo, ViperGas, ViperDirect, GRUNDFOS, SEREL, Fix Radio and TradeKart,and as ever, everyone will be sharing their experience and raising awareness about what we can all do to prevent tool theft.
We hope to see you there, but in the meantime, check out our innovative tool marking system and see how it could benefit you.
