When the problem is your own staff.
WHY IT MUST BE ADDRESSED DIRECTLY
Guards have access, and collusion is a known risk clients worry about.
WHAT FORMS IT TAKES
Admitting accomplices Disabling systems Falsifying records Removing items directly Providing information about routines and valuables
WHAT REDUCES IT
Thorough vetting Rotation between posts Unannounced supervision Verification systems that cannot be falsified
Separation: the guard who controls access does not also control records
Paying properly and on time
WHY PAY MATTERS
Underpaid guards are the most vulnerable to recruitment by criminals.
WHAT TO ESTABLISH
Wages that are at least competitive, paid without fail.
WHY WITHOUT FAIL
Late wages are the commonest precursor to internal loss.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
Incidents concentrated on particular shifts Records that appear completed in advance Guards resisting rotation Unexplained affluence Guards with unusual knowledge of client valuables
WHAT TO DO ABOUT SUSPICION
Establish facts before acting.
WHY
Accusations without evidence produce claims and destroy morale.
WHAT TO ESTABLISH
A process for investigating.
WHAT TO INVOLVE
The client, and where appropriate the police.
WHAT TO DO ABOUT PROVEN CASES
Act decisively, and follow proper process.
WHY PROPER PROCESS
Dismissal without it produces claims.
WHAT TO TELL CLIENTS
Honestly, what happened and what you changed.
WHY
Concealment discovered ends the contract and the reputation.
