New alarm aimed at fighting construction theft

Backhoes, tools, refrigerators and piping are among the items regularly stolen from construction job sites each year.

The result is $1 billion in losses annually adding about 1 to 2 percent to the cost of a new home. It?s the No. 1 concern of the construction industry, according to the National Association of Home Builders. Hiring security guards has little effect because most are not armed and their ability to cover the entire site can be limited, said Bill Pugh, director of marketing and sales for DeWalt, a Towson-based power tool company.