LITTLETON, Colo. (KDVR) – The Littleton Police Department has warned residents about an increase in theft across the city.
“We have seen an increase in thefts from storage units,” Littleton police spokesperson Sheera Poelman said.
Police have released crime stats from seven locations. With 90 thefts over the past two years, Public Storage near Santa Fe and Belleview came in as the location that’s suffered the most storage unit thefts in Littleton.
The Cube Smart, located at 7650 South Broadway, made the list with 19 thefts. A StorQuest at 8198 South Park Court recorded 18 thefts, with a second Public Storage, located at 7989 South South Park Way, racking up 10 thefts in the two-year span.
“Each company chooses different security measures in different ways,” Poelman said.
Police said it’s important for consumers to be savvy and ask storage unit management what kind of security is in place.
“Ask, do you have video cameras,” Poelman suggested. “Do you have folks who walk around to make sure that all the locks are on every single day?”
Having a solid inventory list of items is key to getting valuables that have been recovered back. It’s also important for insurance purposes.
Littleton Police suggests taking these security steps:
- Purchase the best lock possible
- Check with an insurance provider and do not store items that insurance will not cover if damaged or stolen
- Keep a current inventory of items that are in storage, including any serial numbers
- Choose an indoor storage unit if possible
- Purchase insurance, even if it is not required by the facility
Littleton Police said their officers will continue patrolling the areas that continue to attract thieves.
“We are doing everything that we can on our end,” Poelman said. “We’re increasing patrols in certain areas. We’re hyper-vigilant.”
It’s also important to ensure storage unit businesses have sufficient lighting to deter trespassing.
