Police in Lincoln, Nebraska had a busy year responding to thieves targeting self-storage facilities. They responded to thirty or so attempted break-ins at the facilities. The thieves targeting self-storage facilities were at least five different businesses across the city. According to one of the police Officers of the Lincoln Police Department, “It is a sudden increase in these types of crime.” She was surprised that the two week spree equaled nearly half of the previous year’s total.
There was another burst of the thefts over thirty days with at least forty-three break-ins reported at nine different self-storage facilities. In that rash of burglaries, the thieves made off with more than $21,000 in loot and left over $6,300 in damages in their wake. One unfortunate business, targeted sixteen times, reported losses of more than $13,000 and $1,400 in damages. Another facility reported five burglaries totaling over $2,500; that was after the theft of a $15,000 motorcycle in March.
The majority of the thieves targeting self-storage facilities occurred during the normally quiet early morning hours. The thieves either cut the locks off each unit or pried the doors open. The police are uncertain whether the thefts are the work of a couple of individuals or a larger group and whether they are connected or not. After the torrent of thefts the police were looking for two men and possibly a black SUV. They had surveillance footage showing one suspect dressed in dark clothing.
The co-owner believes the thieves targeting self-storage facilities were looking for specific types of items when they targeted her facility: “Refrigerators, small electronics, computers, things like that.” She said she takes the thefts personally and plans to upgrade security at her business by adding more surveillance cameras. She is also encouraging people renting her units to check them every week, buy renter’s insurance, and report any suspicious or unusual activity.
These storage facilities are not clients of ECAM. Stealth proactive live surveillance can detect and deter crime in Lincoln as well as other locations in the U. S. for greater security while reducing security guard and other expenses. A Stealth operator could have seen unusual activity like these break-ins at these storage facilities, activated an audible warning to deter the thieves and called the local police. Contact us to find out how Stealth can help protect your self-storage facility or any other property or business. Visit our web site and see actual videos of criminals being apprehended.
