Secure Your Site The Latest Proactive
Security Measures BY BRAD HADFIELD
There’s a reason people say, “It’s as safe as Fort Knox.” Housing almost half of the U.S. gold reserves, this Kentucky Army installation is known as the most secure vault on the planet. The building is made of concrete-lined granite and reinforced by steel, and rumor has it the grounds are surrounded by land mines and motion-triggered machine guns.
W
hile self-storage facilities don’t need Fort Knox levels of security,
they do need protection from thieves who often view them as low-hanging fruit. The most current FBI data shows that there were approximately 17,000 burglaries, break-ins, and thefts at stor- age facilities over a one-year period, and a quick Google search reveals that the biggest break-in of 2023 (so far) involved thieves hitting more than 40 units in one night at a Florida facility.
Storage Attracts Criminals Self-storage facilities are attractive to thieves for a variety of reasons. “If you put on your ‘criminal hat’ for a moment, it’s easy to see why,” says Maggie Bode, director of business development for Davinci Lock. “Self-storage facilities are vast, with only a handful of individuals on site at any given time, and hundreds of units present hundreds of opportuni- ties for theft. Plus, they’re also often on the outskirts of town, meaning police response can be slow.”
Christine DeBord, chief commercial
officer at Janus International, agrees that the prospect of simply hopping a fence and cutting a lock can be far more attrac- tive to thieves than breaking into a home where neighbors, occupants, alarms, and proximity to police could pose a prob- lem. However, she notes that theft could also come from inside the property.
Smart locks hardwired into unit
doors make it more difficult for thieves because there is no lock to cut. “Opera- tors have reported 80-plus percent fewer break-in claims on smart units compared to traditional locks,” says DeBord, who notes that Nokē Smart Entry locks also have a motion sensor,
“Someone could pose as a tenant to gain access to the facility,” she says. “Or an employee or existing tenant may see someone loading something valuable into a unit and return later to snatch it up.”
Weighing Security Options Most self-storage facilities have insur- ance policies in place to protect themselves and their tenants from property theft and damage, but this can’t protect owners from bad publicity if a break-in does occur. To stay off the nightly news and away from the wrath of social media, both Bode and DeBord recommend various forms of security.
Bode says that the type of locks a
facility uses can have an impact on its appeal to criminals, especially with repeat offenders. “These types of thieves may know the lay of the land, so to speak, and know which types of locks are easier to break into. That’s why DaVinci Lock is always reevaluating the structure and effectiveness of our locks.”
thus making break-ins easily detectable to management.
DeBord acknowledges that the expense
of investing in security can sometimes be daunting, but she says the cost of negative publicity and distrust among the public can be far greater. To lessen the financial impact and maintain a good reputation, it’s important for facility owners to find the right balance. “Cameras are great for tracking down thieves and filing insur- ance claims, but it’s not practical to have hundreds of them. So, maybe you install 24 cameras in key locations and use smart locks to provide individual door security.”
Eli Goodman, growth manager at Spot
AI, agrees that smart locks paired with security systems like Spot AI can be an especially powerful combination. “Some of our camera systems can be integrated with other solutions like access control or sensors, providing alerts when there’s unusual or suspicious activity, unauthor- ized access, or break-in,” he says. “Plus, our new AI models have advanced features like facial recognition and vehicle/license plate detection.”
To make the investment in security
more palatable, Spot AI’s cameras provide other benefits as well. “Our systems give operators more insight into their facil- ity’s day-to-day activity, such as how long customers spend at a facility and if
MiniStorageMessenger.com • August 2023 59
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