You are at the airport and about to head out on a business trip. You have your laptop in your shoulder bag and have packed your Ipad in your suitcase for later use. You’ve read all the articles about items stolen out of luggage by TSA agents, but are just hoping for the best because you can’t carry another thing. Your worries are valid. The TSA has fired about 400 employees over the last few years for allegedly stealing from suitcases. To help stop this behavior, the TSA should consider having every employee take at least a 16 Hour Theft Class as part of the hiring process.
Theft diversion classes are widely available to help teach and reform individuals using a cognitive behavioral approach. Generally, these thieves steal because of poor judgment, a lack of empathy, and impulse control issues. A TSA agent might not have a record of this behavior, but are caught up in it after seeing co-workers get away with it, or just from the free access to all these items. Workers would learn skills in stress management and interventions they could use to overcome the desire when it strikes. Classes also discuss the consequences and risks of stealing so that agents would know what the legal ramifications are if and when they get caught.
Individuals who need to take a theft class due to a court order, workplace requirement or for personal reasons can find high quality programs online. Taking an online theft class is particularly beneficial for national companies because it ensures that all employees are learning the same material in the same way from wherever they are in the 50 states. Online classes are available at the touch of a button by simply enrolling in a 4, 8, 10 or 16-hour program. Once registered, the class becomes immediately available to the employee on his or her Internet based computer screen. There is nothing to download or print out so employees can be sitting in the comfort of their living room, in a coffee shop, in the office or even an airport lounge as long as Internet connection is available. The client can then go at his own pace and scroll through the contents of the online class. At the end of the course, a multiple-choice final exam is taken to insure that the student understands and read through all the material. Once the final is passed with a 70% or better, a Certificate of Completion is issued. This certificate is the official documentation that shows the individual successfully finished the class and can be presented to the court system or company as proof.
Having TSA agents take online theft classes, as a proactive measure would greatly benefit the public. The TSA recently released information to ABC news, which shows the top airports across the country for TSA employees being fired for theft. They are as follows:
1) Miami International Airport (29)
2) JFK International Airport (27)
3) LAX (24)
4) Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (17)
5) Las Vegas-McCarren International Airport (15)
6) Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (14)
7) New York-LaGuardia Airport (14)
8) Newark Liberty (12)
9) Philadelphia International (12)
10) Seattle-Tacoma International (12)
Have your employees take an online theft class today to prevent future liabilities!
