Tech Topics By Rich Morahan, Richard Morahan Associates Deter Grease Theft at the Access Point Why steal used cooking oil when skimming yields long-term revenue? Skimming isn’t just a revenue enhancer for the mob and characters in Martin Scorsese movies. Bruce DeMent of Kastalon, Inc., developer of the Sekure Kap for yellow grease tank systems, has noted skimming is the new tactic for grease theft. Why steal all the grease in a tank or container and put a target on guard when thieves can act like a parasite? “Parasites don’t kill their host,” DeMent said. “They leave enough blood to keep it alive.” Skimming can be a hidden drain on a renderer/grease recycler and their customers’ bottom line. Restaurants and recycling companies may think that locking containers and valves will stop theft, but bins and caps need more than just an ordinary lock, they need a key control program. Recyclers can help boost marketing efforts by offering this type of program while restaurants can protect their assets by installing one. Before looking at key control programs, let’s review the current state of grease theft and prevention. The most up-to-date news is available from Google thanks to reports of grease theft being pretty much a weekly event nationwide. Grease theft is now a multi-million dollar business, often managed by sophisticated criminal enterprises. The grease theft business is often complex, with thieves employing phantom accounts and trucks, double agents working for legitimate and shady outfits, fake billing, and an underground market fueled by a growing demand for the product. Industry groups and law enforcement are attacking the business enterprises, but back on the front lines, there are still some simple steps to take. So what can renderers/grease recyclers and their customers do to control the access point to used cooking oil/ grease? (1) Install a high-end system with an interior tank. A complete grease management system, with interior tanks and web-based or keypad monitored access, provides maximum theft protection – no locks to cut, no bins to drill, and a record of access. (2) Shield the vulnerable lock on the outlet valve. For many operators, the cost of an electronic system is prohibitive so they elect to store grease in locked bins, or take the mid-range option by installing a locking cap to an outlet valve. (3) Shine a light on the target. Motion-activated spotlights are cheap and easy to install. Keep in mind, however, that most access points are out of sight from public view so who will notice the crime? Consider adding a light away from the access point that might be viewable to law enforcement. (4) Monitor bins and tanks. Keep track of the levels in bins and tanks before collection. You may detect a silent skimming partner. (5) Protect against skimming with a secure keyway and key control program. However, unless a company controls its keys and key codes, and installs pick- and drill-resistant locks, a secure bin and hardened cap hardware are still vulnerable to ordinary thieves and skimmers. The enemy is the grease thief who plays the long game, which is why skimming can become a long-term drain on revenue. Only when the renderer/grease recycler and restaurant control the keys can they stop the “inside job,” when a thief gets his hands on an unsecured key or an unauthorized copy. Case in point is a news story out of the Baltimore, MD, area about the gang of thieves that ran a parallel recycling business, one legitimate and one with tank trucks disguised as pick-up trucks. At least one thief kept his uniforms and dummied up fake manifests to cover his tracks. A dishonest driver may have copied his key and passed it on to a confederate. If a system uses a lock with a conventional pin tumbler keyway, it may have been picked or “bumped.” (If you think a standard pin tumbler lock is secure, just Google the words “bump key.”) Standard keyway is easy to pick and duplicate the key. High security keyway is virtually pick-proof with a non-duplicable registered key blank. Tubular keyway is harder to pick and duplicate the key, and a code can be registered. 26 June 2014 Render www.rendermagazine.com
Render_Jun14
To see the actual publication please follow the link above