Alan Brett, who runs his own building business, had £8,000 of tools stolen from one of his vans in 2017. Alan’s insurer wouldn’t pay out as he couldn’t prove which van the tools were in, so Alan was left to cover the cost of the stolen tools, leaving him out of pocket, for loss of earnings besides. With no way of recovering the tools, or identifying their owner, that led to the idea of a ToolWatch App.
Once an item is recovered, using a three-step process which takes a few seconds, police can check ToolWatch to see whether a tool has been stolen, view the owner’s details and inform the owner via ToolWatch that their property has been recovered. This is done with a notification sent automatically informing the owner of the contact details of the police force. Similarly, if police carry out a vehicle stop, or find someone selling tools at a car boot sale, they can check who the owner of the tool is by name and photograph, by entering serial number and make on the app.
If tradespeople are about to buy a second-hand tool, they can check whether it is stolen by typing in the serial number into the app, which will show whether it has been reported stolen. If a tradesperson sells their tools to a subscribed member, they can transfer ownership using the app. If the new owner is not subscribed, then the tool is marked sold.
Alan Brett, co-founder of ToolWatch App said: “We’re delighted to have been certified by BSI and receive our certificate from the organisation in November at LondonBuild Expo, and we’re pleased to have worked so closely with BSI and SBD on testing. With tool theft up, and a van being broken into once every 23 minutes, there is no doubt that business owners and crime fighters are crying out for help to tackle this epidemic. We’ve been working closely with the police forces so ToolWatch App can realise its full potential and help stop van thefts. ToolWatch is dedicated to supporting the community and will be making the app available to schools, colleges, health authorities and emergency services by allowing them to safeguard their equipment free.”
Anne Scorey, UK Managing Director at BSI says: “The BSI Secure Digital Applications Kitemark was developed to help consumers confidently and easily identify websites or apps they can trust with their financial and/or personal details. Achieving certification to the Kitemark involved the rigorous and independent testing of the ToolWatch App, so construction professionals can rest assured in the knowledge that the necessary security controls are in place for the information that is being handled.”
Also, the app has been accredited by Secured by Design (SBD), the UK police crime prevention body, for meeting its Police Preferred Specification. A subscriber can take a photo of a tool and upload it to a private profile, which can be amended or updated. The police have access to their own secure interface which allows them to check if a tool has been stolen. Visit www.toolwatchapp.com.
