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Author Topic: Firing employees who steal Jim Alexander Film Handler Posts: 71 From: Greenwood, Nova Scotia, Canada Registered: Nov 1999 posted 01-11-2003 07:17 PM                        Thanks for the advise John. It was a consideration I had. But this area is quite a small area and I know she does not have access to a computer nor the internet. As to a "sting", I really would not call it that. If she is honest, she has every oportunity to prove it. During a shift, the Box Office staff has full control over the register/drawer. Unfortunately, being a small operation, we don't have a POS system that allows the manager to directly control what should or should not be in the deposit. We use a simple cash register that the Box Office staff has full control over. That said, we do have close circuit TV cameras in the Box Office, canteen and lobby that we have remotely taped (the staff has no idea when it is taping and when it is not). As to witnesses, that is the plan. Since she does not work again until Monday, I have lots of time to get ready.  |  IP: Logged Leo Enticknap Film God Posts: 7474 From: Loma Linda, CA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 01-13-2003 05:52 AM                        quote: Thanks for the advise John. It was a consideration I had. But this area is quite a small area and I know she does not have access to a computer nor the internet. ...but she might know someone who does, especially in a small area where one person who uses the Internet might talk to a lot of others who don't. I don't know what the situation is in the US, but in English law there is a defence of agent provocateur. This basically says that if a defendant can prove that (s)he was deliberately induced into commiting an offence which they would not otherwise have done, then that on its own is grounds for acquittal. About 10 years ago someone was acquitted of a particarly nasty murder on Wimbledon Common because a confession had been obtained after an undercover police officer had befriended him. The police and most people in that community were totally convinced that he did it. But that was not enough to obtain a conviction, and the confession was held to have been obtained illegally. If your objective in this case is simply to get rid of a dishonest employee rather than secure a conviction, then presumably a 'sting' operation would be OK: even if it compromised the chances of a criminal case I can't see any way in the world how you could challenge the decision to dismiss someone from their job from those grounds: after all the employee did steal, even if (s)he was deliberately given the opportunity.  |  IP: Logged Barry Martin Expert Film Handler Posts: 203 From: Newington, CT USA Registered: Jul 2002 posted 01-13-2003 01:19 PM                        Leo, I am no law expert but it sounds like entrapment you are talking about. Bill, Not to re-open that really long pointless debate but to reiterate why I was so annoyed by the theft was that it was policy trailers. The previews I could really have cared less about and probably would have written off to somebody removing them at my theater. The policy was removed and like I said we only had a few at the time that were in even "fair" condition, never mind good condition and my company was not feeling up to replacing them quickly enough due to their financial problems at the time. Jim, I would divulge as little as necessary about your sting to the employee. IF she does take the bait, then I would just bring her into a private area and show the tape of her pocketing the money and see how she reacts. You would be prepared to accept her resignation or terminate no matter how she reacts, that's what I would do anyway.  |  IP: Logged Rachel Craven Madam Moderator Posts: 2190 From: Pensacola, FL Registered: Dec 2000 posted 01-13-2003 07:53 PM                     Barry, Please just drop it, like others requested. I have already emailed you asking you to just let it go and not post anymore on our topic. Now I am asking you publicly since you did not seem to understand the email. Thankyou.  |  IP: Logged Jim Alexander Film Handler Posts: 71 From: Greenwood, Nova Scotia, Canada Registered: Nov 1999 posted 01-13-2003 09:06 PM                        Well...time has past and the tape is in. Only one word decribes what happened...."Busted". What I can't understand is the close circuit camera is in plan veiw, not 5 feet from the individual as she pockets $15.00. The question is, does she really think I'm that dumb?  |  IP: Logged Rachel Craven Madam Moderator Posts: 2190 From: Pensacola, FL Registered: Dec 2000 posted 01-13-2003 09:50 PM                     Congrats, it always feels good to catch someone in the act!  |  IP: Logged Tom Petrov Five Guys Lover Posts: 1121 From: El Paso, TX Registered: Jan 2003 posted 01-14-2003 12:55 PM                    Hi everybody. I am new here it is a great site. Anyhow, we had a assistant manager at my theater who was returing the cups at the end of the night and replacing the cups that were sold but were not punched in the computer. The day the he worked the CPP was around 1.35 and when he was not working it was 2.25-2.50. They never could catch him because he caught on that they were watching him. So they transfered him and he then quit. He apparently got fired from Walmart after that.  |  IP: Logged Michael Brown Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1522 From: Bradford, England Registered: May 2001 posted 01-14-2003 01:34 PM                     Welcome!  |  IP: Logged Barry Martin Expert Film Handler Posts: 203 From: Newington, CT USA Registered: Jul 2002 posted 01-14-2003 03:30 PM                        Rachel, I tried to email you back just now but it is apparently blocked or something. I never received an email from you that I am aware of, this site (as well as all others I subscribe to) has my junk email address, thus everything usually ends up deleted unless I recognize a name or subject line. Sean can vouch for that because he had no subject line and if his name didn't resemble our industry I wouldn't have bothered reading it. When I did talk with Sean a few weeks ago we solved this ourselves, it does not concern you and I wish you would stop trying to tell me what I can and cannot post here. Someone posted a response to me and I replied to them, as far as I can tell that is what's done here and I still have done nothing wrong. If this needs to be discussed further (which I see no point to or reason) then I suggest emailing me with "Film-Tech" in the subject line so I know who is calling, for the time I think you and I are just going to have to agree to disagree and leave eachother alone, sound like a good idea? Thanks.  |  IP: Logged

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