Theft occurs when people simply take resources from an organization.
Theft is a problem for all organizations big and small. In contexts of conflict, theft takes on even larger ramifications as stolen resources can be and often are used to support violent groups.
Even outside of conflict, theft is damaging to the sense of security of communities and undermines trust which, in turn, undermines effectiveness. Increases in crime, even if non-violent, make people feel less secure. When people feel less secure, their tension rises and there is negative pressure on Dividers. Decreases in crime make people feel more secure, even if violence is unchanged. When people feel more secure, there is often positive pressure on Connectors.
The good news about theft is that we can prevent it.
During the Do No Harm Project, people observed that thieves require the presence of four things to successfully steal.
- Knowledge
- Value
- Opportunity
- Impunity
If all four are present, thieves can steal with relative ease. If they lack even one, that makes it much more difficult for them. If all four are lacking, thieves cannot steal successfully. Can we take one or more of these away from thieves? The evidence is clear that we can.
A development agency building a water system found that the sockets for the pipes were being stolen, delaying the project again and again. They asked why. They learned that a pipe socket of a certain size is perfect for homemade explosives. Local fighters were stealing the sockets to build “socket-bombs”. The agency was supplying valuable and lethal war materiel to fighters!
The agency changed the size of the pipes they were using so that the sockets were no longer right for socket-bombs. The fighters stopped stealing and the project was able to proceed. The agency had changed the value.
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Related Topics
Thieves Need Four Things
Using Theft
Adaptability and Theft
Kidnapping is Theft
Resource Transfers
