Theft by displacement

If several months go by without their absence being noticed, then the thief will misappropriate them permanently.
This type of theft is known as theft by displacement. It can happen at any workplace, whether it be an office, a shop or a factory. It may even happen within the home.
The thief initially experiments to see whether the item’s disappearance will be noticed. If it is, he or she can return it. If not, it becomes his or hers.
While it is difficult to completely prevent such thefts, there are steps that can be taken to minimise their likelihood.
-A regular stock-take makes it possible to see what items there are and whether any have gone missing since the last stock-take. A monthly check of assets is best.
– Make employees responsible for the assets under their control. If they go missing then they must pay for their replacement.
-l Search thoroughly for the missing item the moment its absence is noticed. Satisfy yourself that it is not in the place it should be.
– Ask your employees or subordinates to search for it too.
– If an employee finds it, then insist on being shown exactly where it was found. If it is claimed that the item was found in a place that had already been searched thoroughly, there will be good reason to suspect that this was a case of theft by displacement. The person who found it may need to be watched carefully in future.
– Make it clear to everyone that the place had  been searched thoroughly and that you are surprised the item could have been found there. This might deter the person concerned from doing the same thing again.
– Ensure that the working environment is always smart and tidy. A messy workplace breeds theft.
– At some workplaces, staff are searched at exit points. Managers and staff may be reluctant to have such searches, as they are humiliating. However, they are an effective theft deterrent.
– If items cannot be recovered and there is a suspicion that they have been stolen by employees, the employees could be asked to agree to a psychological stress evaluation test.
The test provides a good indicator of the honesty of the individual when questions are put to him or her. It has to be undertaken voluntarily, though. The knowledge that they could be asked to undergo such a test may deter staff from future thoughts of theft.

– This column is sponsored by Safeguard Security in the public interest. If you have security issues you would like advice on in this column, please e-mail your request to mail@mhpr.co.zw or telephone Jackie at Safeguard Security on 751395 9.