Surprise Audits Implement routine employee bag checks of all employees leaving the property for the day. For this to work, it’s imperative that there is only one to two designated entry/exit points for employees to use, and that the bag checks are being conducted at all entry/exit points. It’s important to communicate to surveillance that the bag checks are going to take place so they can watch for any employees trying to bypass the bag check area and notify security of vio- lators. Basically, anything an employee is leaving prop-
erty with should have a back door pass (signed off by their supervisor or security). If they aren’t found carrying a back door pass and have an asset of the property, they would need to be questioned to determine if the employee stole or not. Conduct random surprise employee bank
Front-line employees in every department are the organization’s first and best line of defense. These
audits. These should take place periodically by either management of the area or internal audit. As busi- ness dictates, in areas of gaming and food-and-bev- erage, surprise audits should take place to determine if the employee’s bank is short, over or right on to the penny. In the case that a significant variance is found in an employee bank, surveillance should be notified immediately to investigate. These surprise audits can help identify employees stealing and also deter theft by keeping employees on their toes. Conduct investigations using covert (hidden) equipment. These types of investigations are very useful,
employees will typically observe suspicious activity that may be a result of a co-worker committing theft well before departmental management or surveillance will.
ISBN# 978-1-883768-20-1
and typically result in large cases of employee theft being discovered. With today’s technology, surveillance can install cameras the size of a pinhole in a room, cooler, storage area, etc., and no one will even notice it. It’s recommended that as a routine, surveillance rooms use a covert setup at least once a month in areas of concern. Increase employee and management awareness of internal theft. Have surveillance management speak
at new-hire orientations to increase employee awareness of reporting suspicious activities observed, and the different methods of how to report the information. Front-line employees in every department are the organization’s first and best line of defense. These employees will typically observe suspicious activity that may be a result of a co-worker committing theft well before departmental management or surveillance will. If they don’t know how to report these observations, they may ignore it and not report it at all. Implement an anonymous employee “whistleblower hotline.” Every organization has to have a way for
employees to report unethical or suspicious activities they witness, and they have to be able to do it anony- mously. When information is received via the employee hotline, it should be confidentially e-mailed to at least three high-level executives so it can be reviewed and disseminated to the proper management. It’s also important to make sure that employees know about the hotline. This can be done by posting the number on employee paychecks and on flyers in the company employee hallways. In all of our establishments, we are dealing with the impact of the current weakened economy, the
housing crisis and staggering unemployment rates. Knowing these statistics, we would be silly to think that internal theft isn’t taking place at our establishments, and happening often. In fact, recent statistics com- piled by the Association of Certified Examiners suggest it’s now more prevalent in society than ever. Surveillance departments are known for “loss prevention” and “asset protection,” and typically don’t
bring revenue to the bottom line. Utilizing these techniques, along with making sure employees caught stealing are prosecuted and required to pay restitution, will only increase the profitability of your establish- ment and bring more money to the bottom line.
Jessie Beaudoin, CPO, CSP, is the executive director of surveillance at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Beaudoin has over 10 years of casino surveillance experience specializing in detection and prevention of internal theft and fraud. He is currently a board member of the International Association of Certified Surveillance Professionals, and a member of the Gaming and Wagering Council, Certified Fraud Examiners, and ASIS International.
www.ggbmagazine.com • February 2011
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