18 trespassing incidents in 10 months. Zero stolen tools, zero stolen copper.

A senior living construction site in Chino, CA has been under live camera monitoring since August 2025. Here's what showed up on camera, what it would have cost the client if it hadn't, and what monitoring actually costs by comparison.

Why construction sites are a target

Active construction sites are one of the most exposed property types there is. Fencing is often temporary, expensive tools and equipment sit out in the open overnight, and — especially in the later stages of a build — copper wiring, HVAC units, and plumbing fixtures are already installed and sitting unguarded before the building is ever occupied. Unlike a finished building, there's no one living or working on-site around the clock to notice something wrong.

This particular site, a senior living facility under construction in Chino, CA, covers a large footprint with a perimeter fence line that's difficult to fully secure with locks and gates alone. We installed 11 cameras across 4 elevated towers positioned at the corners of the site, giving overlapping coverage of the entire perimeter and interior yard, monitored live rather than just recorded for later review.

10 months, 18 documented incidents

Since monitoring went live, our monitoring partner has logged and reported 18 separate incidents at this site, averaging roughly two per month. Nearly all of them followed the same pattern: an individual or small group entering or approaching the fence line, spotted immediately by a live camera operator, who contacted the site's point of contact and, in most cases, the Chino Police Department directly.

Every incident above generated a documented incident report from our monitoring partner within 24 hours, with time-stamped camera footage and, where applicable, a police report reference number — records the property owner can point to for insurance, legal, or project documentation purposes.

Actual camera footage from the Jan 7, 2026 incident: the two individuals fleeing on foot as Chino Police Department units arrive with sirens active, leading to their arrest.

Actual camera footage from the Feb 15, 2026 incident: an individual in a black hoodie loitering near the fence gate, followed minutes later by a Chino Police Department vehicle responding to the site.

Actual camera footage from the Apr 14, 2026 incident: a masked individual loitering inside the premises, followed shortly after by dispatched Chino Police Department officers arriving on site.

What would have happened without cameras

Every one of these 18 incidents was caught, verified, and responded to before anything was taken or damaged. That's the point of live monitoring — it turns a trespasser into a resolved incident instead of a loss. Without a camera system watching the perimeter, none of that happens. Based on what we've seen unfold on other construction sites without monitoring, here's what an unmonitored version of this same site would likely be dealing with by now.

The real cost isn't just what's stolen

On an active construction project, a single theft or vandalism incident rarely stays contained to the value of what was taken. The ripple effects tend to cost far more than the stolen materials themselves:

A single incident involving stolen tools and stripped copper can easily run into the tens of thousands of dollars once materials, labor, delay, and financing costs are all added up — and that's before accounting for the schedule risk of it happening more than once.

What monitoring actually costs, by comparison

This site's monitoring setup: 11 cameras at $100 per camera, per month, plus a $100/month mobile internet connection for sites without a wired connection yet — a total of $1,200/month. Based on the incident log above, this site has been averaging roughly two deterred incidents per month serious enough that, left unmonitored, it could plausibly have resulted in real loss.

At roughly $14,400 a year, this site's full monitoring cost is less than the cost of a single serious theft-and-repeat-work incident on a project this size — and it's covering deterrence across an entire year of exposure, not just one event. Compared against tens of thousands of dollars in potential losses from even one unaddressed break-in, it's not a close call.