I’ve never flew and got my bag back with the lock still on it (it was taken off and rummaged through). My wife has had underwear stolen. My kids gym shoes were stolen.
It’s like airlines require a criminal history for bag service.
Always take important or expensive stuff in carry on.
Which is why you put them in your carry-on: so that it is never in possession of the baggage handlers. The TSA employees at the security checkpoint won't generally steal things right in front of your face and under the cameras.
Well hey, they did their time and paid their debt to society right? Should they continue being unemployable for life, forced to return to a life of crime? Give those guys a second chance to earn an honest living and show the world they aren't defined by their past.
(Is it actually true that airlines hire people with criminal histories to handle luggage? I think they actually require clean background checks for those jobs, for obvious reasons, but such background checks are often the subject of the sort of criticism I just presented.)
While this is true, it may be a good idea to employ them in jobs where it isn't tempting/super easy to get away with theft?
Roofers, plumbers, and the like have a lot harder time stealing things than airplane baggage handlers...