Catch A Thief

Hi fellas, hope you guys can offer some advice please.
Have got a horrible situation in that someone is stealing money from my business. I run a small business with 3 blokes working with me. Noticed some small amounts of cash going missing but recently it has increased significantly.
Rather than confront/accuse everyone, and lose the team ethic we have, had thought about putting a trail/game cam in the room where the cash is going walkabouts.
Know nothing about trail cams, so could someone please point me in the right direction as to where to get one, which model etc. Will be setting it up in a small office. Loathed to buy one brand new unless I have to so has anyone got a 2nd hand one gathering dust in a cupboard they want to sell or can you rent them anywhere?

My other half says move the cash. Call me old school, but I want to find out who is stealing from me.
Would really appreciate any help.

Thanks

not good sucks when you cant trust your workers hope you get it sorted

Check up on the legalitys of this stuff especially if you intend to let him/her go, you don't want a personal grievance against you.
That said I would want to know who also but it may not be able to be used to get rid of the offender.

Ask the police first for advice, careful you don't end up in a personal grievance. Join the EMA and use their advice line, if you need a solicitor to get rid of them, the EMA has some good ones at a very reasonable rate. Get the bastard convicted in court to protect future employers. Good luck, these things suck energy.

Yes do it properly, everything you do has to hold water in a court of law.

You might think it won't end up in court, but when you find out who it is and your feelings get involved you might just appreciate the fact that you did everything correctly to protect yourself.

But your only setting the camera up to see if there are any deer grazing in your office. So whats illegal about that if you accidentally catch someone pinching your cash.

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Originally Posted by possummatti

But your only setting the camera up to see if there are any deer grazing in your office. So whats illegal about that if you accidentally catch someone pinching your cash.

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Gold!!

good advice above even though your in the right theres a proper procedure you need to follow to make sure this doesn't bite you in the arse even when approaching the offender has to be done a certain way you cant just walk up to them in the lunch room etc and confront them

What the others said. Whilst you're right to ask here, the risks to you financially can be significant if a PG arises. Invest in a local recognised employment lawyer to advise you. A small price to pay and good learning for you.

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Originally Posted by northdude

good advice above even though your in the right theres a proper procedure you need to follow to make sure this doesn't bite you in the arse even when approaching the offender has to be done a certain way you cant just walk up to them in the lunch room etc and confront them

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Exactly...you need to take them out the back amongst the rubbish bins and give them a talking too "up real close".

You must catch the offender and stop this shrinkage, no firm can afford it. This must be done correctly and to the letter of the law and to your employee/employer contract. I totally recommend that you get in PI's (Auckland Investigation's) as it maybe not be one but two or even all of your employee's, or some one completely random. This is a specialist project so get it done right. The cost of the investigation can be charged to the offender if found guilty.

Oh yeah , be surprised with what they turn up.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by possummatti

But your only setting the camera up to see if there are any deer grazing in your office. So whats illegal about that if you accidentally catch someone pinching your cash.

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Yeah right , Man-traps in this PC world will kick you in the nuts, he probably fall back on a poor upbringing and the way you are not a nice person for even thinking he was crooked!!. I went thru a personal grievance with a guy who stole $6.00 and manipulated an invoice, amount wanted $40k compensation. Mediation started with the mediator telling me that if I fired someone for such a small amount, there better be a lot more to it or it was going to cost me big. Whats the diff between $6.00 and $500.00, if you took it you are dishonest!!. Its alright I won but not before telling the mediator i would not pay him a cent in compensation and would go to court. The mediator said I had rocks in my head and if I paid him $500.00 it would all go away and court would be much more expensive! I think he understood FUCK OFF the guy stole from me, and he never went any further. Be careful in these matters do it the PC way!

Stick some leg hold traps under the cash;)

Take the numbers off the notes and follow him to the tuck shop and ask to look at the notes when hes left, caught a young girl who was stealing from the cash float this way. Took the thread of the cops to get her to resign, bitch!!

You can buy much more covert cameras than trail cams now days. Google Spy Shops on the internet. You can get some thing the size of a 308 cartridge for less than $200 notes. Bastard might see it and think he'll have that as well.

I know of a business person who has a PG fund set up, she just goes In guns blazing and if they yell PG she just writes. Chegue , heck the guy my have already stolen enough already to cover that. Yes check it out maybe with an employment law specialist. I think staff have to be informed. Either way if you informed it's there it will either stop of not, if it don't then you have a rock solid case:-)

It is not illegal to instal a security camera for theft. It only is an issue with absolute privacy i.e. toilets etc.Go for it.

If it was me I'd get hidden cameras installed.
Catch them thieving on camera then lay a complaint with the police.
I'd also talk to a lawyer who specialises in this sort of thing.

Maybe check out one of these options ...

Multifunction Clock with Hidden 720p Camera | Trade Me

SPY CAM CLOCK DVR RECORDER DV + REMOTE !!! | Trade Me (Cheaper option)

I use to keep one of these http://www.trademe.co.nz/electronics...-806239280.htm in my uniform chest/arm pocket ... and set it to record while I attended Noise Control/Home Detention call outs etc ... no one was ever the wiser
Not sure if this could be an option also to leave on a desk .... oh as a bonus the pen is functional also
Hope you get your man/woman

If it were me I'd opt for the option two; put up a sign saying camera opertating on Friday after everyone's left, call a meeting Monday first thing and ask for the responsible person to own up and pay back the money and resign by 5 pm that day or the authorities will be called. Tell them the camera has been set up over the last few months on the advice of your lawyer and accountant. Or who ever.
Either way, I'd want to get rid of the prick and simply move on.

Hey thanks to all for taking the time to reply and offer advice. Head says dot the i's and cross the t's legally. Trouble is I'm old school lol

Get a wifi model go pro (or similar) you can set it up in office, be watching on your phone and conveniently wander into office while they are stealing and catch them red handed, nobody would need to know a camera had been there

go visit your local jaycar shop pretty sure they do small spy cams

Just y $.50,
I did a "similar" job for an old employer, they have someone taking money from their house, someone they knew and trust. They went to the police station and made a complaint, the detective told them to do a "scout" in the situation(if you know what i mean) and them they approach me and ask me to help with a GoPro setup in the home office.
In the following day they contact me to extract the footage, analyse it, save it and make few copies in DVD to the police. The "perpetrator" was busted in action, the police came, search the person and arrest after find $1200 in the under ware.
So, as has been advised previously, go to the police station, find a legal adviser/lawyer and then setup the video surveillance.
Good luck, all the best and hope it don't bring grievance.
Mac

Cheap option - Have a meeting in the lunchroom or office with all the staff.

Lay an envelope on the table in front of everyone then explain that the results of the secret surveillance you have had running the last few weeks is in there along with the name of the person they caught.

If said person resigns that day and pays back the money before leaving the cops wont be called. Otherwise their name will be read out and the video footage played to all the staffthen the police will be brought in,theft of a servant etc..


More expensive option but by the book. - Hire a Company to do the above mentioned secret surveillance and let the police then handle the prosecution.