The theft of information and communications technology (ICT) equipment from schools is widespread and costly. Projectors are especially prone to theft, with one local authority estimating that the cost of replacing projector equipment ran to £200,000 in a single year. And the expense is not just restricted to buying new equipment - it also has to cover damage to school property resulting from the theft, associated insurance claims and the disruption to lesson schedules in the school itself.
After a wave of thefts during which 195 projectors were stolen from London schools in the first three months of 2005, many sold to pubs and clubs to show football matches and films, the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (Becta) proposed a simple and low-cost design solution. It suggested that all educational equipment could be produced in a bright and distinctive orange colour so that any equipment stolen from schools would be easily identifiable and more difficult for criminals to sell on. Potential customers are likely to find the gaudy orange units less desirable to use in a domestic environment and they might know that the orange colour means it’s school property and has therefore been stolen.
Becta worked with representatives from the Home Office, police forces, the Department for Education and Skills, local authorities and equipment manufacturers to generate enthusiasm for the idea. And from early 2006 ten manufacturers have been producing orange projectors, combining the bright colour deterrent with additional security features such as PIN codes and remote control operating devices.
But for the idea to be effective as a deterrent to thieves, ICT procurement departments and people in the community all have to be aware that orange projectors are produced only for schools. So Comproom, a school computer room design company, created a series of posters to raise the profile of orange projectors. These can be put up close to any new orange projectors and wherever thieves may try to break in. The ‘Don’t Get Caught Orange Handed’ posters feature cartoons of thieves appearing in court with orange hands, charged with stealing educational projectors. They are designed to be memorable to the school pupils who use them and to anyone in the local community who may see the school during an open-day.
According to Becta, the orange initiative had an immediate and beneficial impact. In the London Borough of Havering annual ICT thefts from schools had exceeded £150,000 in one year. But when the borough introduced orange projectors and linked them with other security measures, such as etched and forensic marking on the equipment, burglary rates fell substantially. Potential thieves were put off by the colour because they knew they’d find it more difficult to sell the products on.
What do you think?
Could colour be the key to cutting other hot product crime in specific contexts like schools?
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