Employee Theft Investigations

Detecting and Preventing Employee Theft

Employee theft has long been recognized as a major threat to business profitability. Each year, employers lose billions of dollars to worker theft, embezzlement, and other forms of pilfering. Unfortunately, most employers are so busy guarding against outside threats that they rarely give internal theft the serious consideration it deserves. And once money or merchandise has disappeared, it may be too late for a company to recover all that it’s lost. Fortunately, there are ways to detect and prevent employee theft, and an experienced security services firm can play an important role in your theft mitigation strategy.

Recognize How Employees Can Steal from You

Your business offers a multitude of opportunities for employees to take advantage of you. And no matter how much you try to screen during the hiring process, there’s no way to guarantee that your next hire will be as honest as you hope. To minimize the risk of loss to theft, embezzlement, and other illicit activities, you first need to recognize your business’ vulnerabilities. They include:

  • The Point of Sale. Whether you accept payments at a cash register or other means, there can always be potential for employee manipulation of the transaction process.
  • Customer Data. Your customers trust you with personal and financial data. Without proper safeguards, dishonest employees can use that data for corrupt purposes.
  • Time Clock Fraud. This common form of theft literally steals time and money from your business, as employees manipulate their time sheets or time cards to receive pay for time they haven’t worked.
  • Theft of Merchandise or Business Supplies. Any item or supply removed from your business represents lost money and reduced profits.

Develop a Strategy to Detect Theft Risks Early

External locks and internal safes can protect your hard assets from all but the most committed criminals. However, they provide little protection against these internal threats. Moreover, you cannot be everywhere at once, so it’s basically impossible for you to observe every detail of your company’s internal operation. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t take steps to detect and prevent theft. An effective theft mitigation strategy can use high-tech cameras, data security tools, and other technologies to monitor employees and assets – detecting or preventing most theft.

Get the Right Kind of Help to Protect Your interests

Naturally, most business owners lack the time needed to address these concerns on their own. That’s why so many of them rely on experienced security experts to help them provide the protection their companies need. Competent, professional security service providers can offer a whole host of benefits that can help you minimize employee theft risks in your business:

  • Comprehensive electronic security advice and assistance
  • Data management strategies to safeguard customer information
  • Effective investigative services that can detect theft and help you track down the offenders
  • A thorough risk assessment to help you identify your company’s vulnerabilities
  • Security guard and other services as needed

For New York business owners, the choice is clear. Instead of accepting employee theft as the cost of doing business, entrepreneurs can instead rely on a trusted security partner to help them effectively deal with the threat. And when it comes to security companies, you’ll find no better partner than International Security Services – New York City’s dedicated security experts.

 

 

Picture of George Kozhar

George Kozhar

George Kozhar is a respected security professional, licensed private investigator, and founder of International Security Services (ISS) - New York City’s dedicated security experts since 1999. Mr. Kozhar and his team provide a full array of private and business investigative services in the U.S. and overseas, VIP executive protection, armed and unarmed security guard services and training, and Fire and Life Safety Director training through the company’s Fire Science Institute.

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August 10th, 2022

Property Security Evaluation Report

Your Individualized Property Evaluation Report

Your site’s individualized property evaluation report contains information and analysis that you need to properly manage your site’s security needs. That information includes detailed analysis of the crime rate in your area, site access and parking protocols, and existing security infrastructure. Interior inspection includes analysis of emergency exits, fire suppression capabilities, and alarm infrastructure for emergencies. Exterior inspection includes analysis of structural defects, property lighting, and potential vulnerabilities in building access.

In addition to those inspections, our analysis also considered environmental factors, potential risks from older trees, outside property maintenance, and nearby crime that may overflow to the area. We also examined emergency response planning, including fire evacuation protocols and information supplied to residents about proper evacuation process.

 

Pressing Suggestions


We highly suggest a camera placement along this driveway, as the overhead cameras in the back parking lot may not capture all makes, models, and license plates of cars entering in and out based on the angle they are recording from. The best camera placement would be at the green circle closest to the sidewalk/street.
The common area is easily accessible, but based on the angle that cameras are set at the front lot, anyone can enter the basement common area concealing the side of their face that is facing the camera. This is not to say that the camera arrangement should be changed, but it is highly recommended to have coverage in this common area as the common area is on a lower floor not visible from the sidewalk.


However, a few fundamental problems exist when it comes to access control of the back parking (a big territory). Even though only two issues have ever occurred there, the wide-open access point to that lot may need to be corrected sooner than later as there is a significant uptick in crime in the 62nd precinct.

Furthermore, there are two fundamental surveillance blind spots along the driveway leading to the back parking lot and every common area.

Lastly, however unlikely it may seem, tenants should have resources and a physical guide for situations that may require an evacuation. Whether it be a flood or fire, each tenant should know how to use a fire extinguisher and where to evacuate to during a flood regardless of their proximity to a shoreline.


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