Friday, June 6, 2025.
Built for Integrity: Why Security is a Design, Not a Reaction
Years ago, behavioral economist Dan Ariely made waves with a book titled The (Honest) Truth About Dishonesty, which explored how even good, upstanding people cheat when the circumstances allow it. As someone who’s spent decades in the world of corporate security and investigations, I can tell you that he’s absolutely right.
Dishonesty isn’t always the product of malice. Often, it’s a matter of opportunity, rationalization, and a lack of friction. When a person can take something without much effort and without feeling like they’ve done real harm, they’re far more likely to do it and still see themselves as an honest person. The reality is that theft and fraud don’t always start with a grand scheme. Sometimes, it’s just an unattended drawer, an unchecked invoice, or a silent register.
This is especially true in the wholesale and retail world, where temptation is built into the environment. Employees are surrounded by merchandise, customer transactions, return policies, discount systems, and petty cash day in and day out. With no clear oversight or structure, even the most loyal employee might start to rationalize taking home an item, overreporting hours, or giving unapproved discounts. And we’ve all seen this all too often.
That’s why our goal in security isn’t just to catch wrongdoing. It’s to create a system that discourages it from the start.
Good security isn’t built on suspicion, it’s built on structure. It’s about creating an environment where doing the right thing is the easiest thing. Cameras, audits, access controls, clear policies, and accountability systems aren’t there to make people feel like criminals. They’re there to protect everyone (including the employee) from crossing a line that gets blurrier every day it goes unchecked.
Let me share a story that illustrates this with a touch of humor. A man goes to his rabbi, distraught that someone stole his bicycle from outside the synagogue. The rabbi suggests a clever plan: “At your next sermon, speak on the Ten Commandments. When you reach ‘Thou shalt not steal’, pause and look around. The guilty person will give themselves away.” A week later, the rabbi checks in. “So? Did it work?” The man replies, “Almost. When I got to ‘Thou shalt not commit adultery’, I remembered where I left the bike.”
It’s a funny story, but is serves also as a reminder of how tangled our morals can get when we think no one’s looking.
As business owners and leaders, we must design workplaces that don’t rely on personal virtue alone. We can’t just hope everyone makes the right choices, we have to make the right choices easy. That’s what good security companies do. Not just installing alarms or patrolling property, but working with management to build a culture of accountability.
This includes:
- Making cameras visible, not hidden.
- Conducting regular, randomized audits.
- Setting up checks and balances in handling inventory, cash, and customer data.
- Providing training and moral reminders that reinforce company values.
- Structuring roles and access so that employees are never isolated with high-risk resources.
When employees know there’s structure, consistency, and visibility, they’re less likely to test the boundaries. And if they do, the system has to be designed to catch it early, before it becomes habit, or worse, a costly pattern.
So no, we don’t install cameras because we believe our employees are criminals. We install them because we understand human nature. And we design security not to react to dishonesty after it happens, but to make sure it doesn’t happen in the first place.
Your faithful security guy.
Brett Mikkelson
Director, B.M. Investigations, Inc.
TOP NEWS and TIDBITS:
ATTT Will Implement Traffic Flow Changes in San Francisco Starting Saturday, June 7
The Land Transit and Transportation Authority (ATTT) announced that starting Saturday, June 7, changes will be implemented to the direction of traffic flow on two streets in the district of San Francisco, Panama City.
Streets where ATTT will implement traffic flow changes:
According to the agency:
- Los Lirios Street: One-way from 75th Street to 74th Street.
- 72nd Street: One-way from Calle 50 to Vía Israel.
This measure aims to improve traffic flow and enhance road safety in the area.
The ATTT advises drivers and residents to pay close attention to the new signage and comply with the regulations for safer circulation.
Ministry of Security Denies Presidential Order to Use Force in Bocas del Toro
The Ministry of Public Security clarified that it has not received any order from President José Raúl Mulino to “use force” to reopen the province of Bocas del Toro, where the Banana Industry and Related Companies Workers’ Union (Sitraibana) declared a strike on April 28.
According to a statement from the institution, the public security forces reaffirmed their commitment to “peace, legality, and human rights.”
The Ministry also emphasized its respect for citizens’ right to protest, “as long as demonstrations are carried out peacefully and within the legal framework.”
A key point highlighted by the Ministry is that protests must not endanger lives, property, or social harmony.
“Any act that goes against these principles will be addressed in accordance with the laws and the Constitution of Panama,” it stated.
The institution also reiterated its commitment to ensuring the safety of citizens and to working toward preserving stability and well-being in Bocas del Toro.
Cabinet Council Suspends Enforcement of New Preferential Interest Law
According to the Minister of Housing, postponing the enforcement of the law will benefit 9,000 families who were still in the process of receiving their homes.
The Cabinet Council approved suspending the effects of the recently enacted Preferential Interest Law for housing until December 31.
During the session, it was decided to temporarily suspend the effects of Law 468 until December 31, 2025, allowing its implementation to begin on January 1, 2026, explained the Minister of Housing and Land Management, Jaime Jované.
He stated that the measure includes reinstating the validity of Law 3 of May 20, 1985, and its amendments until December 31, in order to “rescue and process the mortgage applications corresponding to this period” and give banks time to finalize pending procedures.
The minister also mentioned plans to reform the new law, although he did not provide specifics.
The decision will benefit approximately 9,000 families by facilitating access to housing, according to Minister Jované. He also clarified that the homes still pending processing are valued up to $120,000, with a total gain of around $6 million.
To support this, President José Raúl Mulino also approved the extension of the National Assembly’s extraordinary sessions until June 26 to allow for discussion of the proposed changes to the law.
One of the main concerns is the lack of clarity regarding the validity of the new law in relation to the previous Law 3 of 1985, which is set to expire on December 31, 2025. Law 207 establishes that it takes effect from its enactment on April 24, 2025, creating uncertainty about which regulation governs mortgage loans currently in process.
Additionally, Article 12 of the new law—which requires banks and borrowers to renegotiate loan terms six months before the subsidy period ends—has raised concerns due to its lack of consultation and possible operational implications.
The law also introduces a tiered subsidy system based on region and housing price. For instance:
- In Preferential Tier 1, for homes up to $50,000, a subsidized interest rate of 5% is offered for eight years.
- In Preferential Tier 2, for homes between $50,000 and $80,000, the subsidized rate is 4.5% for seven years.
- In Preferential Tier 3, for homes between $80,000 and $120,000, the subsidized rate is 4% for five years.
These subsidies apply only to new homes that serve as the primary residence of the beneficiary and their family, excluding properties for commercial use.
The banking sector and real estate developers have expressed that, while the law aims to stimulate the economy and employment, it is essential to make adjustments to ensure its effectiveness and avoid adverse effects on the mortgage market.
Comptroller Announces Salary Suspension for 15,000 Teachers on Strike
The Comptroller of the Republic, Anel Flores, announced the suspension of salaries for approximately 15,000 teachers who have been on strike for more than a month as a protest against Law 462.
According to the Comptroller, audits have confirmed that many of these teachers are not attending schools, while others only show up to mark attendance and then leave without teaching students.
He denounced that many of these practices occur with the consent of school principals and other authorities within the Ministry of Education (Meduca).
Flores clarified that the Comptroller’s Office is not deducting salaries, as the educators have not earned any salary, which is why they cannot be paid.
Flores also emphasized that there are around 17,000 teachers on a waiting list to be officially appointed as educators, and he is in talks with Meduca authorities because he believes it is time to call upon this reserve of people eager to work.
Additionally, he stated that this school year students have barely had three and a half weeks of classes and are already five or six days away from finishing the first trimester.
“That is an outrage when the country is spending $3,600 per student in the public education system,” the Comptroller said during a press conference.
On the other hand, he reported that there is a list of 82 union leaders who are indeed receiving pay because they have managed to mark attendance themselves or have someone else do it for them.
He urged educators to pause and consider the harm they are causing to students and parents who work so hard to send their children to school to learn.
Panama Metro Announces Full Closure of the Pan-American Highway Until Saturday, June 7
The Panama Metro announced that from Wednesday, June 4 to Saturday, June 7, closures will take place on the Pan-American Highway, specifically near Nuevo Chorrillo and at the access point from Vía Centenario toward Arraiján, due to beam lifting, station, and roof work as part of the progress on the construction of Line 3.
From Wednesday, June 4 to Friday, June 6, between 10:30 p.m. and 4:00 a.m.:
- Closure of all four lanes of the Pan-American Highway from the entrance to the Nuevo Chorrillo community to the Fi Yang Shopping Center.
Closure in downtown Arraiján, heading toward Panama City:
From Friday, June 6 at 8:30 p.m. until Saturday, June 7 at 7:00 a.m.:
- Closure of the access road from Vía Centenario to downtown Arraiján.
