This week, counterterrorist officials distributed a document to police, advising them to visit self-storage facilities on a mission against terrorist activity. This comes in light of the al-Qaida bomb scare in Denver and New York. According to the Denver Post, at least one facility has been visited, with police asking questions about tenants' suspicious behavior. For more background info:

Denver Storage Facilities Visited in Connection With Terrorist Concerns

AP Reports on Document About Storage and Terrorist Activity

So, have they come a-knockin' on your door yet? Do you think they will? Do you have anything suspicious to report?

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Teri L. Lanza
Editorial Director
Inside Self-Storage
www.insideselfstorage.com

We had a visit from the local FBI liason not one month ago. His primary reason for the visit was to introduce himself to our local site managers and to offer his assistance with our own in-house security screening program as needed.

Almost called him today on a new renter with a less than believable story...

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John Roser
"Adventures In Storage"
www.usastorageresource.com

So I thought I'd log on to the SSA website to read the "Homeland Security Alert" and guess what? It simply re-directs back to their homepage even though I've logged into the secure members only area. I verified the log on and the path name is https.... I've sent an email and will try to see what is going on and alert anyone about anything more we all need to know. Hopefully by the time you read this on Wednesday the problem will be fixed. They're pretty good about addressing things quickly!

On the terrorist thought though, we all need to ALWAYS be vigilant and be AWARE of what is happening on our sites. Be nosy and get back to those golf cart reconnaissance missions, they're the best as you're visible on site and that makes people who are up to no good either stop, or go elsewhere.

I for one don't want any bombs being made here. Hell, I live here and our kids visit and I love them and don't want any harm falling upon them or my customers for that matter. I'd rather risk offending someone by being overly nosy than to stick my head in the sand like an ostrich.

If nothing else an alert from DHS & the FBI should remind us all to not be complacent. Have we been visited? No, but I sure wish someone would. I'd love the chance to speak with an agent and learn a bit more. Knowledge is power, and we need power to avert terrorist activities. Do I really expect a terrorist to select our sleepy little burb, no. But then again, who among us does expect someone to do something illegal on their site?

Okay, I'm stepping off of my soapbox now.

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Gina 6k
CochraneStorage dot com
Morgan Hill, California
twitter.com/CochraneStorage

You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough!
I am not an attorney, just an experienced manager who is willing to share what I have learned. Your thoughts, practices or opinions may vary and neither of us may be right.

I received an e-mail yesterday from SSA with the entire Homeland security notice to police and FBI -- I will put it up on my website and post a link here in a bit.

It's a very interesting read.

to answer the question - no visits -- yet.

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Wayne
Jamestown, ND


All arguments can be resolved ... with high explosives and Humor!!!

Here is the link

Homeland Security

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Wayne
Jamestown, ND


All arguments can be resolved ... with high explosives and Humor!!!

Wow! This is all very interesting and scary. I'll put my 'radar' out a bit more.

I'm all for awareness, paying attention, whatever other euphemism you care to employ, but there is something that always makes me nervous about federales showing up. Maybe it's too many movies.

I get why self storage would be on the radar and it is not too much to ask managers to be aware of shady characters who come to rent. It is govt's potential for excess that gives me pause, kinda like the story from AZ about the couple with the bathtime photos of their kids that turned into a year-long expensive nightmare. Just my two cents.

Okay, they are after me. My paranoia is real!!! The SSA didn't warn me.

Or then again... I did some massive block deleting of email; maybe I better check my 'trash'. No disrespect intended SSA folks.

Thanks Wayne for the info, but now that you've posted it you're being watched. Tracked by: TERR-010000-01-05 is at the bottom of the notices.

Nothing much new that DHS and FBI haven't targeted prior in regards to storage facilities. It does make me want to toss out the landscape company even more now though. They store their trailer and lawnmowers, all open and visible and I'm on them all the time. They try to keep lawn clippings in the unit overnight, but I won't let them... there's critters in those burlap bags.

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Gina 6k
CochraneStorage dot com
Morgan Hill, California
twitter.com/CochraneStorage

You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough!
I am not an attorney, just an experienced manager who is willing to share what I have learned. Your thoughts, practices or opinions may vary and neither of us may be right.

No Feds here in rural Alabama yet...but several years ago one of our tenants was arrested after making a threat to blow up CSU (Columbus State University, Columbus, GA). Seems he did not prepare for a test and needed more time, and he was an older (in his forties).

He was a strange character from the start. We waited to be contacted but no one calls or comes like in the movies. So we called them since the unit was in the rears. We were not sure if there were explosives in the unit or it the unit had been wired or just what. The proper authorities came and searched the unit and carried away several large brown paper bags. Made me feel some better that they went into the unit and I did not have to.

Now I just have Mexicans that were arrested for money laundering and they pay with cash. Yes I do check it.

But keeping an eye out never hurts. Thanks for the info.

Last month the New Jersey State Police came to my site. He showed me his badge and said that they were working with the FBI or the Department of Home Land Security or something and going to all storage facilities in NJ. He asked questions like how many units do we have and gave me a paper with a couple of names and phone numbers on them to call if I notice suspicious activity and told me to call them and/or the local police if I see anything "unusual".