robbery-watchman responsible?

[eastcoastmike]

Just informed in NY that home broken into in the Dom Rep.Im expecting all sorts of "what could I do,theives held me up" from the watchman.Am I responsible for any liquidation pay upon his imminent firing?Could stolen goods be deducted from his pay?Unfortunately any story told in the Dom Rep. is usually not believable.Any help is appreciated.
ECM

[Mirador]

Originally Posted by eastcoastmike

Just informed in NY that home broken into in the Dom Rep.Im expecting all sorts of "what could I do,theives held me up" from the watchman.Am I responsible for any liquidation pay upon his imminent firing?Could stolen goods be deducted from his pay?Unfortunately any story told in the Dom Rep. is usually not believable.Any help is appreciated.
ECM

Nothng to worry about, if your watchman works for a licensed security firm, then your loss is covered by the company's insurance.

[eastcoastmike]

private watchman am i out of luck?

[Rocky]

Unless you can successfully prove in court that he is responsible or involved in the crime, then you are responsible for his liquidation, should you choose to fire him.
Conversely, you would not have to pay.

[Ken]

If you had been here when the robbery occurred and reported it immediately to the police, there is a very good chance that they would have brought the watchman in for questioning. It is generally understood here that watchmen are often involved in the crime against the property they are supposed to protect.

Getting a watchman who you can trust and who stays awake is very, very difficult. When you get one, you had better treat him right.

[rellosk]

Originally Posted by Ken

Getting a watchman who you can trust and who stays awake is very, very difficult. When you get one, you had better treat him right.

They would seem true with a "private" watchmen.

Is it any better with a watchman from a licensed security firm (as mentioned in Mirador's post)?

[HOWMAR]

Originally Posted by rellosk

Is it any better with a watchman from a licensed security firm (as mentioned in Mirador's post)?

Whether you employ your own Watchman or use a Security firm, the quality of the employees is the same. You get what you pay for. The quality of a 6000 peso/month employee is what it is. The advantages of using a Security firm is you don't have to deal with Labor Law issues or have to arrange for coverage when the employee doesn't come to work.

[Beads]

Using a person to guard an uninhabited location doesnt seem like a good solution in the DR. Some type of electronic or mechanical mechanism seems much more reliable. Im not sure what the laws are for or against using deadly force against intruders but if it wasnt allowed I wouldnt own a house there if I wasnt there all year.

[Ken]

Originally Posted by rellosk

They would seem true with a "private" watchmen.

Is it any better with a watchman from a licensed security firm (as mentioned in Mirador's post)?

These people are paid peanuts and there is a huge turnover in personnel. Given long hours, low pay, and no benefits, they don't have any feeling of loyalty or job satisfaction. The main benefit of the companies is that they have insurance on their people so you get some protection in certain circumstances. But they wouldn't qualify for a job guarding Fort Knox.

[rellosk]

Originally Posted by HOWMAR

Whether you employ your own Watchman or use a Security firm, the quality of the employees is the same. You get what you pay for. The quality of a 6000 peso/month employee is what it is. The advantages of using a Security firm is you don't have to deal with Labor Law issues or have to arrange for coverage when the employee doesn't come to work.

I would have thought that the companies would have done some pre-screening and possible background checks.