COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — A Colorado Springs man says his storage unit was broken into earlier this month, costing him thousands of dollars in tools and personal belongings.
While police say storage unit burglaries are not increasing this year, they warn these crimes can still happen and encourage renters to take precautions.
Nick Visser says he discovered the break-in nearly three weeks ago when he stopped by his storage unit to move some items.
“Really frustrating,” said Visser. "At first, nothing looked out of place from the outside."
It wasn’t until he approached the unit that he noticed something was wrong.
“I pulled up, getting ready to move things around from the storage unit, and I noticed a different lock,” said Visser.
Visser says the lock had been broken and replaced. Inside, more than $5,000 worth of property was missing.
“I immediately noticed a six-foot toolbox missing with tools in it, and all the bins I had moved from another storage,” said Visser.
Most of the stolen items were work tools and clothing, including some passed down by family members.
“I just couldn’t believe it. I was frozen,” said Visser.
According to the rental agreement Visser signed, the storage facility is not responsible for liability, loss, or damage to items stored inside units.
"We are not responsible for, and you release us from any liability, loss or damage, including without limitation injury to persons, from any cause ("Loss"), including without limitation, our active or passive acts, omissions, or negligence, unless the Loss is directly caused by our intentional or reckless conduct. To the extent permitted by Colorado law, our liability for Loss from any cause will not exceed a total of $5,000."
However, he wants other renters to be aware and take extra steps to protect their property.
“Make sure you have insurance,” said Visser. “Don’t keep anything that is sentimental.”
The Colorado Springs Police Department says storage unit burglaries are statistically flat so far this year, but they stress that incidents still occur.
Officers recommend avoiding storing highly valuable or irreplaceable items, especially firearms, and choosing storage facilities with strong security measures.
“I just want people to be aware,” said Visser. “I had my car stolen a few years ago. It just feels violated.”
News5 reached out to the Public Storage company by phone calls and an email to ask how many units have been broken into at this location and whether any additional safety measures have been implemented. As of publication, the company has not responded yet.
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