Car dealer amped up for a fight

A Bunbury car dealership has installed an electric fence at its property following years of vandalism and damage.

Bunbury Honda and Kia along with security company U R Safe were last year able to persuade Bunbury City Council to allow the extreme security measure.

Damage from vandals throwing items over the dealership’s fence and sometimes even breaking in has cost the business thousands of dollars over the past two years, according to general manager Scott Jones.

U R Safe manager Jeff Rodwell said electric fences in Bunbury were growing in number as businesses took more action to protect their properties.

“If someone tries to climb over the fence they will get zapped and if they try to break in the alarm will go off,” Mr Rodwell said.

“The fence is only on after hours ... the property is monitored 24-7 through to security.

“The only people who really have to worry about it is the people doing the wrong thing.”

The electric wires are above the dealership’s already existing fence and warning signs are placed about every 10m.

Mr Jones said the damage had been constant and the fence was an “investment” the local business had to make.

“We just want to make people think about what they’re about to do,” Mr Jones said.

“It’s not to keep the good people out of our dealership.”

“For us, the investment has been massive but for the security of our dealership and our staff, we’ve had to do it.”

He said it was not designed to zap people just walking by either with a one-metre buffer zone between path and fence.