In the United States, employee theft accounts for about 43 percent of inventory shrinkage in the retail industry. The average time it takes for fraud in an office setting to be detected is two years. Total thefts committed by managers in all industries is a whopping 37 percent. As many as 75 percent of all employees have stolen from their employer at least once, yet only 1 in 30 retail employees are arrested for theft in the workplace. Slightly more than one-third of all amounts stolen through all industries is $1,000,000 and higher, with the median amount of stolen goods being $175,000. 

Given these alarming statistics, if you have been hired as a new facility manager after the previous one either failed to do their job, stole from the employer, or both, it would behoove you to take all necessary precautions to mitigate the risks of future theft from the employees in the facility. Here's how. 

Conduct a Facility Security Audit 

Hire a security specialist to conduct a security audit of the facility. This specialist will analyze and survey the entire exterior and interior of the facility, as well as all entry points, such as windows, doors, roof vents, air intakes, and utility entrances to look for areas where goods and materials can be easily concealed until the criminal or a cohort can retrieve them. 

The security auditor will also review and analyze the control access panels, locks, surveillance cameras, and any other equipment that has been in use in the facility. The cabling and wiring for the equipment will also need to be inspected. The auditor will also need to see the various locations within the facility where the items with the highest value are stored. After the assessment is done, you will receive a briefing and a report from the auditor, which will pinpoint the vulnerabilities in and around the facility along with suggestions on how to improve the security. 

Hire a Security Guard Service 

The auditor may have recommended for your facility to be protected by a security guard service, either long term or short term until new equipment can be installed. If your facility operates around the clock, especially with each shift being fully staffed with employees, the security guard service will need to also operate around the clock with enough manpower. If your facility is not operational during certain hours, such as overnight, the security company can send enough patrolling guards to secure the perimeter of the property and/or the building. 

If the recommendation is for temporary or increased security service while equipment is being installed, ensure for a smooth transition to technology-only based security by securing an end-date for the security guard contract to be after the first drill or test of the new security system. 

Installation of Equipment & Devices 

Security equipment, whether used alone or in conjunction with security guard services, can include surveillance cameras at strategic locations, access control panels to limit entrance to sensitive areas, and drones to give a bird's eye view of the entire property. If the auditor also recommended for the entry points to the facility to be changed or bolstered up, such as air intake or roof vents, you may need to have a conference with all of the contractors so a definitive plan and schedule can be developed. 

This equipment should only be installed after a security guard service has been hired. The reason for this is because the wiring and cabling locations for the installation of the equipment should be protected and hidden from the employees to reduce the risk of tampering with the wiring and cabling. 

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