Preventing self storage thefts

Burglars are looking to steal and sell off items from storage units, in many cases to use that money to buy drugs.

It's just one of those things that happen as you get older ?*- the longer you've been around the more stuff you have.

And when the garage gets full ?

"* you might put some of your stuff in one of those self storage units.

Sometimes those units can be targets for thieves.

Kimt news three's nick kruszalnicki joins us live in mason city to tell us how to protect your treasures.

Nick?

Yes george and katie ?

"* chief jeff brinkley of the mason city police department tells me burglars are looking to steal and sell off items from storage units ?

"* in many cases to use that money to buy drugs.

"probably for the last two and a half, three months they've been on the rise."

Chief brinkley saying more thieves are breaking into self storage units.

He recalls a time when his officers found burglars in the middle of a late night raid.

"we caught a couple of people in one, the night shift did probably six weeks ago."

Connie stille is the co?

"*owner of federal u?

"* store it in mason city.

She tells me the police keep an eye on her storage facility.

"the police are real good about going down the alley and if they notice anything that's out of place, they give me a call."

And when the police aren't driving by ?*- the storage facility has security features to keep the bad guys out ?

"* including an electric gate.

"our total unit area is surrounded by fencing and a corner of our area, we have serpentine wire so people can not climb up on whatever is parked outside our fence."

Chief brinkley recommends keeping your most valuable items stashed safely at home.

The chief also offers what he views as the best defense against would?

"* be burglars.

"buy a good lock.

I think that certainly is a good start.

Have a good inventory of what you have in your unit.

So, at the point stille also says they've been lucky at their storage facility ?

"* they haven't had a break?

"*in at all this year.

Live in mason city, nick kruszalnicki, kimt news 3.

Thank you nick.

When choosing a storage facility, you want to make sure the area is well lit at night ?

"* so there is