Thread: Manager Killed During Robbery

A self-storage manager in Seattle was stabbed and killed during a robbery Saturday. Police shot and killed one of the suspects the next day. Few details have been released by police, but here's a summary.

As most managers spend the majority of time on the property alone, being a victim of a crime is a very real threat. Unfortunately, many baddies out there know this. They also think self-storage facilities have tons of cash on hand.

What precautions do you take to protect yourself?

So sad.

We of course have a camera in the office and the monitor allows the person in the office to see themselves on camera. We made friends with our local law enforcment and asked them to please help keep a watch on the property, many of them now have storage untis with us and we very often see their cars parked here while they are on duty. Another step we have taken is getting to know the business employees and owners around us and letting them know that I am here alone most of the daytime hours, you would be surpirsed how very often I am checked on by these great neighbors. The same is true of most all of my tenants, they will stop by regularly to check on me and see if I need anything at all. When the clocks change and it will be dark before we close, I will lock the door early and screen who is coming in, If I think someone that is questionable is at the door, they are not coming in at all. I never ever walk into a unit where I would be off camera when showing the property etc and I make it a point to act as if someone else is on my property by taking a two way radio with me and I will say something like, Let me grab my radio in case my husband calls from the back of the property. I carry pepper spray at all times, and I have taken self defense courses, I am in the process of getting a permit to carry a pistol. We are in a wonderful area so I have never had problems but that does not mean I never will. Even with all of these things in place , in a matter of seconds some thug can walk through the door and change everthing. Be aware, always talk to law enforcment and neighbors and ask them for their help, if they cant come by to see you often times they will give a call and if you dont answer chances are they are going to check in. If you are in a more secluded area, I would reccomend that you keep your door locked and screen who is coming in, in most cases your gut instinct will send you some type of message that something is wrong. We are thinking of this manager and their family, this is never ever news we want to hear. God Bless.

This is so sad to hear. It's a shame that we deal with these types of tragedies...

I do the same things that Sandra mentioned. Locking my door before it gets dark is a norm around here. My customers are used to it by now and often comment that they are glad I am being cautious! When something doesn't seem right, it may not be. I remind myself that trusting my gut doesn't mean I'm scared, just cautious and safe.

I refuse to meet customers after 8:00 pm. And often times my husband accompanies me on my after hours trips to the office. He has made his presence known even though he is not here during regular business hours my customers know that he is 'around' and pops in frequently.

I have also made it widely known that I do not keep large amounts of cash in the office and discourage tenants from paying with large bills. When cash payments are made I thank the tenant for paying with exact change because I don't have large amounts of change available. I also frequently 'empty' my cash box so that only a small amount of cash can be seen by my customers at any given time, especially during the first of the month when rent is due.

Well unlike the others, my facility sits out in the middle of a forest, so I don't have neighbors, either across the street or on either side. I do have a camera trained on the front door and counter area, and a panic button under my countertop.

However, in this particular case, I think the robbers came in wanting to hurt someone. The storage facility employee was 84 years old, I wouldn't think that he put up much of a fight for the money.

At my last property, I shared a parking lot with a gas station and a Jack in the Box restaurant. We all watched out for each other. I also had a panic button under the desk.

At my new property, I sit a minimum of a mile from the next anything. I am all alone, and with the time change coming, it scares me. There is no alarm system, so no panic button. We are also a U-Haul dealer, so I sometimes have a large amount of cash. My husband often works late and doesn't get home until 9-10. Anyone paying attention for any length of time knows his truck and will know if he's here or not. I feel very vulnerable, and I'm not really sure what to do about it. I realize that I can lock the door at night, but it's glass, so if they really want in, all they have to do is shoot it!

After this article, I'm even more concerned for my safety. I'm really saddened for this man and his family to have suffered so senselessly.

Mamaduke, I would be more worried here in the woods if I was a U-Haul dealer...some of their customers are really "out there"...and then you have the ones who get irate about the gas levels. We were here all last winter, and I don't think we had anyone come to the facility after it got dark the whole winter. We've got glass doors too, so I don't bother locking them once it gets dark.

Wasp spray is a great line of defense it shoots far and if you hit them in the eyes it will temporarly blind them. I also have height bars at the door to notice how tall they are. I have a panic button but would never suggest using it till after they leave. This comes from my previous job as a manger of a 7-11 store. The panic button can cause more trouble then it is worth and could cause a dangerous situation if they have not left the building.

you need to have a counterplan , the robber has a plan, so you need one to. A simple plan might be to have an extra bank bag, they are usually free. then think, If someone comes in can you throw the fake bag out a door or window? A robber will go after the money, throw it as far as you can, run the other way. think where you could throw the bag, and where to run to before it happens. If you just throw the bag at the robber, then as he goes for it, get behind a locked door, that at least is a plan. its better than nothing.

Great advice Superbob! And of course you could seed that phony bag with phony funds and an exploding dye pack too.

Hey people, think drop safe. There is one in most every fast food restaurant. Post a sign that states only the ownership has the combo to the safe. Whether its true or not at any given site, the unknown is usually enough to send the criminal seeking a softer target.

That being said; what kind of a chicken BLEEP has to kill an 84 year old man for a few hundred bucks. Hell, take the damned money but let the gentleman live out his twilight years. That's one sick puppy and there is no need for that.

I'm so sorry for the family of the gentleman and for the rest of the A-1 staff and company.