UPS Thefts Again

[Channahon]

In recent weeks headlines for UPS thefts are more prominent than ever.

New York - cell phone ring
Florida- guns
Arkansas - jewelry
North Carolina - jewelry theft ring


Is there not enough Security presence in our facilities to deter this kind of activity?

Or are employees just hiring on to steal from UPS?

 

[Pip]

Well, this really 'BITES", simply put. Just the kind of free publicity nobody wants. What are these people thinking, when they do this? This is the kind of actions that can bring down a company.

I can't help but think that, Ok these are the ones that got caught, BUT, how many more scams are going on right under our noses that haven't been found out? These kind of actions affect all of us, from top to bottom. Sooner rather then later if these kinds of stupid actions don't stop this will have major consequences for UPS as a company.

One thing that UPS has had to offer was a trust that a customers package would be safe while in our control.The trust factor people put in UPS to get there packages delivered, intact, unmolested can very quickly evaporate, and have a lasting effect that will take years to get rid of.

If people want to bring down a company, these actions will sure do it. Isolated incidences are one thing, but too many in a short period of time starts to make customers think twice about using UPS for their next package.

 

[Dutch Dawg]

..... Isolated incidences are one thing, but too many in a short period of time starts to make customers think twice about using UPS for their next package.

I agree that any report of theft is an occurance too many. Keep in mind the news crawler on this site is directed at UPS related news. Were it to be directed at USPS, FEDX, etc. I suspect there would be just as many theft headlines pertaining to the competition. Just trying to put it in perspective.

 

[brownmonster]

Keep paying as little as possible for part time starters and expect way too much. You get the bottom of the barrel.

 

[Captain America]

We had a 17 year employee,one of our fastest runners,get busted in Feb. He had been coming in early to sort his load (unnpaid) and would load packages he liked as they came by. He would then somhow get them from his route to home and sell them on E-bay! What an idiot screwed himself and his family out of a decent job and may now do time.

 

[bighammer]

Combination of less security personnel and hiring temporary employees to handle high value packages will continue to hurt the UPS reputation with customers

 

[hoser]

are there more thefts, or is the media reporting more thefts?

Combination of less security personnel and hiring temporary employees to handle high value packages will continue to hurt the UPS reputation with customers

somewhat agreed. but you know what it really is? hiring the WRONG employees or hiring ANYONE. FX express employees don't go through security checks and all that crap, and their theft rate is much much lower, because FX will take the right candidate (because they have a huge selection of applicants that WANT to work for FX), not just someone with a pulse and some arms.

 

[Channahon]

These are cases where the employees are arrested and prosecuted.

I wonder how many more many cases there may be, where UPS does not arrest and prosecute thieves.

As far the media, they do hang around or have sources in police stations to get the stories.
UPS use to make an effort to keep these type of stories from the media by working with local Police Depts. However, once information is public record, everyone and anyone can get the info.

Not good for UPS's reputation, escpecially the gun thefts, in my opinion

 

[Humrock]

We have had several cases of drug thefts at our hub. In every situation the employees have been given their jobs back. Where is the deterence in that? I really believe if one is caught stealing they should be prosecuted to the fullest. How else can this be stopped?

 

[hoser]

We have had several cases of drug thefts at our hub. In every situation the employees have been given their jobs back. Where is the deterence in that? I really believe if one is caught stealing they should be prosecuted to the fullest. How else can this be stopped?

are you sure? in the contract it says, theft or dishonesty = automatic dismissal

 

[Humrock]

Oh yeah, I'm sure. Believe me, there were a lot of questions unanswered by these situations. Everyone just seemed to shake their heads and say hmmmm. I don't know what kind of deal was made but 6 out of 7 kids came back to work in three instances. Makes me want to shake my head and say hmmmm.

 

[hoser]

Oh yeah, I'm sure. Believe me, there were a lot of questions unanswered by these situations. Everyone just seemed to shake their heads and say hmmmm. I don't know what kind of deal was made but 6 out of 7 kids came back to work in three instances. Makes me want to shake my head and say hmmmm.

maybe they got their jobs back in co-operation with an investigation. regardless, it's stupid.

 

[vin]

The company's reaction has varied widely just in my hub depending on the severity and circumstances of the event. Around the time I started several of the vending machines were being broken into and looted. Every once in a while the machine would try to dispense a product but it would get stuck by a corner and not drop down. People would try to shake the machine or bang on the glass in order to get it to drop. Bang on glass too hard or too long and it will break and it did. After this happened a few times, the company put in video cameras pointed at the vending machines. The next time it happened, everyone (including several supervisors) who took something out of the broken machine without paying for it was fired. (more than 20 people total) Most of them only took a snack or two and they were fired. All of this was unnecessary since all the person had to do was fill out a refund request from the vendor, and they would get their money back in a day or two.

More recently, plant engineering has been installing video cameras in the operation itself. Now there are signs all over the building announcing "This facility is subject to electronic surveillance." There have been a few instances recently where the employees knew they were being monitored and were still caught stealing. (The "high security" areas were the first to get the cameras and the employees working in those areas were told about the cameras although not told exactly where they were.) Inmost of the cases I have heard of, after the employee was caught on film stealing, he was given the option of quitting, with no charges filed. If he refused, the company fired him anyway and did press charges. The union wasn't able to get anyone's job back that I am aware of.

 

[hoser]

The company's reaction has varied widely just in my hub depending on the severity and circumstances of the event. Around the time I started several of the vending machines were being broken into and looted. Every once in a while the machine would try to dispense a product but it would get stuck by a corner and not drop down. People would try to shake the machine or bang on the glass in order to get it to drop. Bang on glass too hard or too long and it will break and it did. After this happened a few times, the company put in video cameras pointed at the vending machines. The next time it happened, everyone (including several supervisors) who took something out of the broken machine without paying for it was fired. (more than 20 people total) Most of them only took a snack or two and they were fired. All of this was unnecessary since all the person had to do was fill out a refund request from the vendor, and they would get their money back in a day or two.

More recently, plant engineering has been installing video cameras in the operation itself. Now there are signs all over the building announcing "This facility is subject to electronic surveillance." There have been a few instances recently where the employees knew they were being monitored and were still caught stealing. (The "high security" areas were the first to get the cameras and the employees working in those areas were told about the cameras although not told exactly where they were.) Inmost of the cases I have heard of, after the employee was caught on film stealing, he was given the option of quitting, with no charges filed. If he refused, the company fired him anyway and did press charges. The union wasn't able to get anyone's job back that I am aware of.

yeah, that is pretty stupid, stealing $1 in candy over your job that 50 people are lined up to take.

theives are aware that video cameras are set up for insurance purposes (you put up cameras, your insurance rates go down), not to actually reduce thefts. so a lot of place put them up, have them recording, but are never reviewed. thing is, in every medium and large sized centre, there is an in-house (non bargaining unit) security agent going through the footage.

now with cameras, everyone thinks warehouses hide cameras, but that's not feasible. if security cameras are installed, they would be visible, as hidden cameras are way too expensive, involve way too much effort, and cannot work effectively enough (resolution and panning wide enough). so if you can't see cameras, and there are signs saying that you're under video surveillance, you're likely subject to a cheap psychological deterrent.

 

[had_enough]

UPS has damages not thefts. It sounds a little better when you tell a customer their package was damaged rather than an employee stole it. LP's main job now is to do damage audits not theft investigations. Because you know that kid who did not use proper hand to surface on 4 out of 100 packages is causing more damages then a building designed to process 20,000 packages an hour now processing 30,000. Thefts at UPS only make the news when an outside agency (police) conduct the investigation in most cases.

 

[Channahon]

yeah, that is pretty stupid, stealing $1 in candy over your job that 50 people are lined up to take.

theives are aware that video cameras are set up for insurance purposes (you put up cameras, your insurance rates go down), not to actually reduce thefts. so a lot of place put them up, have them recording, but are never reviewed. thing is, in every medium and large sized centre, there is an in-house (non bargaining unit) security agent going through the footage.

now with cameras, everyone thinks warehouses hide cameras, but that's not feasible. if security cameras are installed, they would be visible, as hidden cameras are way too expensive, involve way too much effort, and cannot work effectively enough (resolution and panning wide enough). so if you can't see cameras, and there are signs saying that you're under video surveillance, you're likely subject to a cheap psychological deterrent.

Don't underestimate new technology nowadays being used by Security.

 

[vin]

now with cameras, everyone thinks warehouses hide cameras, but that's not feasible. if security cameras are installed, they would be visible, as hidden cameras are way too expensive, involve way too much effort, and cannot work effectively enough (resolution and panning wide enough). so if you can't see cameras, and there are signs saying that you're under video surveillance, you're likely subject to a cheap psychological deterrent.

I know most of the places, well general areas the cameras cover and have tried to spot them. I haven't been able to find any. The only ones I have seen are the ones in the cafeteria covering the vending mchines that have been there for years. There are also cameras focused on spots where jams frequently occur and there is a video monitor in the sort tower. Those cameras are easy to spot too. Now I haven't gone through the hub looking for them but I know they are there and LP does review the footage.

 

[Anonymous Lepper]

Poverty breads crime. You pay these folks $8.50 for 4 hours a day and you'll have thieves.