Survey equipment theft in the Miami area has been going on for years, starting with people grabbing unoccupied GPS and Robots, then breaking into trucks, then armed robbery on the street, and now a dozen "smash and grabs" at various offices in the past three months ... A couple of years ago the police busted a network of thieves that were selling equipment to South America, looks like it's escalating again.
http://www.local10.com/news/thieves-targeting-south-florida-surveying-firms-equipment/25272274
You just gotta LOVE the “News” people. Now that they have informed everybody and their brother the dollar value of survey equipment it won’t be long before the punks in the hood will be robbing every surveyor in town. 🙁
Yeah, I kinda felt the same way ... they kept showing items and saying how much they were worth ... ugh ...
My former boss, who works out of central Florida, got a contract to do el certs for a fast food restaurant all over the state. While he was in Miami, doing a level run away from the truck, someone busted out the window of his truck and stole the level case ... yes, just the case. But it shows how quick they are to find and rob you.
I hope this doesn't spread. So far, I haven't heard of much theft outside of south Florida.
Back in the "heyday" 2006-2008, we got hit about 5 or six separate times. 3 2" Leica guns, 2 trimble 5800's and a trimble ground plane. All were truck break-ins while the guys were inside a fast food place or running levels. Insurance covers the instruments, but what got me was when they took a field book at the end of a full work week. All of this in Broward and Miami-Dade, no problems from Palm Beach north