I often wonder if our criminal behaviour is learned or innate?
I sometimes ask my colleagues what they would do if they knew another employee was stealing. Almost to a man the response is, “I’ll talk to them and let them know they shouldn’t do things like that.”
I bet it’s less than ten percent (10%) that say they will report them.
On one occasion I caught an employee stealing red handed and pressed charges with the Police. Calls came from the family and the church alike to ask that we let him off. After all it was such a small amount of money involved, they would say.
Even the Magistrate asked if we really wanted to prosecute for that amount of money.
The country’s Parliamentary leaders are no different.
How many major scandals have we read or heard about during election time over the past twenty-five years? Too many to list here that’s for sure. And how many of them have served jail time? Maybe two?
But just wait until next election season. The rumours will be dusted off and carted out once again for us to get all worked up about.
I’m sure people are similar all over the world, and these situations are magnified here because “we all know each other” but it seems uncanny that we would protect criminals in this manner.
I’m convinced the Parliamentarians let their colleagues pass just in case they need the favour returned should they be tempted to put their hand in the proverbial cookie jar.
Could that be the reason we let each other off with petty crimes as well?
So do you think our willingeness to let criminals slide is a learned behaviour or innate? I’m leaning toward this being innate in human nature, and we have to be trained out of it, but I’m not sure.
When I went for my licence last week and paid for it the clerk returned the $50 with the receipt to take to the room for the licence.
When I received the licence I asked “Who gets the $50”?
There were about six other people in the room and everyone made comments to the effect that they would be $50 richer.
I found that depressing. Is honesty no longer in vogue or is it ok to steal from Govt., like the people who brag about sneaking goods past Customs?
I caught an employee steeling, not once, but twice. I gave him a chance. This I would never do again. I tried.I don’t think you ever trust that person again. Trust me, they know full well that nothing will ever come of it. Call the Police & it takes up your valuable time for naught, but try & fire someone & all hell breaks loose !I think in a lot of cases in the Bahamas, it is a way of life.
Theft, in many cases, is about re-distribution.
There is however, a small pocket of people, who steal just for stealing’s sake; or kleptocratic.
But, especially with long term employee’s, who work for pennies compared to what they need to survive, employers have to deal with the disgusting behaviour of stealing, because, if you were to fire everyone in your company who you were to find stealing, you would probably have no one left to work for you.
Until wages in this town, meets living expenses in general, we will have on the job stealing and the big business people know this, this is why they take a soft stance to it and let somethings slide.
JMO!
Provocative “Bill” but you will note that we have the third highest per capita income in the region behind the US and Canada.
If you fast forward to the 21st Century you might find out that some things have changed back home here.
Maybe when you return from school you will realise that.
Just learning about redistribution of wealth I see? However, that is no reason to justify stealing.
Thanks for tempering your comments.
Rick,
First, what is with this fascination putting my name in brackets? What is it supposed to mean? Does the name Bill, give you some excitement and special feelings? To each his own….But, I am glad you know my name and recognize it especially. 😉
Back to the issues…There are so many thing WRONG with the GDP per capita in this country, considering the mis-calculations on true employment, coupled with the NEPOTISM IN THE FAMILY OWNDED COMPANIES, who grossly over pay their small circle family and friends, with the fact that the civil service, is glutted with grossly overpaid persons who stay on the job longer obviously; all of this factors in, because these people are readily and easily accessible to be accounted for. Also, to the fact that the tertiary educated in this town, who by Caribbean average on amount to 12% of the population…the true GDP per capita is allot higher than it should be. And in fact, the number is truly worthless.
With this, I think the Caymans and Bermuda have higher GDP per capita than the Bahamas. But, their statistics suffer from the same deficiencies in accountability that we do; and their GDP per captita numbers, which average into 60 and 80k, are worthless as well.
Last, I never would even suggest that things have not changed, just that it has not changed much, with this, the way we report it overstate how much TRUE change has actually occured.
p.s.
Thank you for your condescension, not that it matters. I see you have not tempered your barbs and snotty remarks, but would rather I do!?!? Sounds like you want to set up an unfair fight. Typical. But, this is your blog…
Some issues, do not warrant the hullabaloo. Like you and many others, some topics just gets your fingers typing allot faster than it should.
Hold on a minute Bill. We pay our workers well above the minimum wage, well above. Stealing is totally wrong no matter what. I think a part of the problem is some people seem to be trying to justify it.
DP,
Where did I, “Bill”, justify stealing!?!?!
Never did I, in fact, I said it was a disgusting act. However, recognizing why most people feel they have to do it primarily, and for what reasons, is another topic. And, as Rick mentioned, someone he knew forgave someone for stealing, as he may understand what it means; to some marginal extent.
Considering prices have gone up at least 20% in the last 5 years, and that same minimum wage has only gone up 10% in 15; basically!?!?! I must say that YOU, have GOT to be kidding me.
The reason why we have so many expendable workers; bar maids, hotel workers, store clerks…etc is because we have not educated them to be top earners. So, there is a gross glut in the expendable services market. So, one can say it is too expensive, because you can find some hard on their luck man or woman, to work for $10.00 less; and employer’s know this. So, as labour is important, the employer’s THINK they are cutting cost, but are probably losing MORE in regards to marginal cost due to ill fitted workers, who cannot help to progress your company.
On the other end, hehehehehe, this is what makes the Bahamian market sluggish for what it is right now. Because, the human resources needed to make it truly strong, is not readily available, so, the persons at the top are merely in a monopoly market of some sorts, because not many out there are able to challenge them on the principles and how it works, and how it can work better and how those people who need it to work better for them, can articulate how they need to have it better and why. Essentially, the top tier intellectual elites (I use that term very loosely) in this town are believing their own hype, because of this out of touch approach to the Bahamian development and politics.
JMO!
People steal because its how they were taught, just like the litter problem. People litter because it is what they have been taught.If you do the crime, you must do the time.
I don’t think anyone teaches their kids to steal. Just does not sound reasonable to the Bahamian religious and moral code.
Just as no one teaches their kids to kill or rape.
JMO!
Without punishing the guilty, and tolerating the matter, people are invariably being taught to steal.
Lisa,
Do what you have to do. I think each case is individual onto it’s own. To characterize on one case in one store, does not enforce stealing or corrleate to stealing accross the board. Also, on the other end, if it is the case, wopuld it stop stealing; you just would fire on thief. Now, we know there is a problem in this town. Period. The problem is people don’t have the money to live…so, unless you want another revolution, ehehhehehe, pay your people more than $175.00 per week, or a fair salary, and fire the ones who steal.
Sounds truly simple to me….
Bill:
Can you identify the employers that pay their staff that only pay $175 per week? The people I talk to only pay that to students and brand new entry level employees during their probationary period.
Do you have facts that suggest otherwise?
Thanks,
Rick.
Rick,
To get started. Would you seriously like me to identify the employer’s who pay $175.00 or less?
Abaco Markets…
Restaurants Bahamas…(although they are a bit better than many)
Island Merchants…
Most security firms, but the thing is with security firms, they have you make up the ridiculous hours to make pay (£250.00 per week per average)…
HUNDREDS of wholesale and retail outlets…including gas stations and any amount of clothing stores and liquor stores.
(All of these places, I either worked for in the last 4-5 years “for the same salary or less”, or, have friends who worked for the same thing as a “normal” base salary)
And with this, the beginning salary set at $175.00, is too low for even summer students on HALF WEEK’S WORK. But the main thing is that the turn over in staff is so great that anyone who stays on working for $175.00 per week, for more than a month, has to be hard on their luck, or, has some other form of income and don’t need the money that badly; these folks would miss work repeatedly, or steal from the company marginally. In addition to this, these companies always have a fast turnover of staff because people just choose to leave, or be fired for petty theft. With this, the workers who stay on are so compliant, or, by economics, forced into having to work for pennies , that if they do make it past probationary period, their salaries don’t make it past probationary period; this happens mote often than anything.
So, like we see in Abaco Markets in particular, we have had store managers making $180.00 per week; STORE MANAGERS! On top of this, the hours worked are grossly unfair to their working price range. Some of those folks, especially in the food services, work 10-12 hours a day sometimes; worse on the weekends.
No man, they have taken advantage of our people and dense moral coded society.
On top of this, they KNOW Bahamians en-masse are soft and kind hearted and would not rock the boat for the sake of peace. They KNOW the human resources en-masse is damaged. They KNOW we have hundreds of people who are willing to work for pennies and stick with it. They know they can get away with it…
I know exactly the corner you are going to take on this one; “well, tough luck” basically. Yea…I know, tough luck indeed. Treat this country and its people with respect and dignity; $175.00 a week for a mother of two, with rent to pay is outrageous. In fact, $250.00 for a single mother of two is not even fair enough, considering the money you make in the market here with the loaded prices.
Dear “Bill”
No doubt there are unscrupulous employers as there are unscrupulous employees.
The beauty of the free market though is if you have the skills you can move on to a better employer for more money, benefits etc.
Also, we have to bear in mind that most of the jobs you outline are entry level. There is a reason they earn the minimum wage.
Also, you do not explore the question of commissions and tips etc that some of the positions you outline might receive. Nor do you discuss the cost of doing business here.
Sometimes, we have to take responsibility for ourselves and stop blaming other people for our stealing and behaviour etc.
Bill, the people that make that in a week probably can’t add 2 & 2! Finding a good worker at $3-400 a week, with a good work ethic is at the least extremely difficult. Trust me I have been through it for the last 14 years (and that’s a 5 day work week, no Saturday’s).