Problem is at some point some person or more likely group of people has to be entrusted with the Master Keys. Using different keys for production machines and that sort of thing is all well and good but they're kept somewhere, meaning if an admin decides to screw you, there isn't a lot you can do.
Seems like the better option is keep your admins happy as much as possible.
The point is, it's not a trade-off between employees' job satisfaction and 'committing a crime'. These are not two sides of the same or even related issues. You don't keep employees happy because they might burn the place down if you don't and and someone's departure from a job is not a reason for them to commit a crime. Equating these things is silly.
Well in general, you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. I can't help but notice that most of these companies that run into these sorts of issues also had some pretty bad stories on Glassdoor.
Not necessarily causality, but I'd say there's at least a correlation, and a good enough reason to make office life as bearable as possible.
Seems like the better option is keep your admins happy as much as possible.