West Seattle Crime Watch: Another storage-unit break-in

1:38 PM: Burglars are still targeting local storage units in the Luna Park area. Most recently, we’ve had multiple reports of break-ins at Public Storage on SW Avalon Way; today, we have word of a break-in at nearby Stor-More (WSB sponsor) on SW Yancy. The victim says it happened late Friday night:

They broke into only our unit, apparently. We had a really good lock on the door but they cut the hasp — so essentially, they cut *around* the lock. They went through almost every box and threw stuff around and took jewelry and a few antique silver ornate serving platters. Mostly stuff they could sell easily.

Searching Tweets by Beat for the incident number (2016-320931), we noticed another burglary report this weekend (different incident #) for an “unoccupied structure on residential property” in the same block.

6:08 PM: As noted in comments, there are reports now of multiple break-ins at Stor-More this weekend. We’ll be following up on these and the PS break-ins, with police and with company reps, to see if we can find out about plans for increased security.

15 Replies to "West Seattle Crime Watch: Another storage-unit break-in"

  • Withheld by Request! September 5, 2016 (2:18 pm)

    The Store More storage had many units burglarized this weekend! 

    • WSB September 5, 2016 (2:42 pm)

      Hi WBR, I have just checked the police report records and this is the only incident mentioned there, not just for the weekend but for the past month. But please e-mail us the incident # if you are a victim and we can research. editor@westseattleblog.com – thanks!

  • WS Mama September 5, 2016 (3:34 pm)

    We had our unit at the Public Storage on Avalon broken into last week. This has been a problem for some time and Public Storage has done nothing to upgrade their security. 

  • F. Nightingale September 5, 2016 (4:32 pm)

    Last night, 28 more units at Stor-More were broken into. Same method of cutting the hasp as the first unit from Friday night, and all burglarized units were on the same floor as the first one. 

  • East Coast Cynic September 5, 2016 (7:52 pm)

    I take it these storage facilities don’t have 24 hour security with the possible exception of security cameras?  These facilities don’t appear to be worth the money to bother storing possessions with them.  Better Business Bureau reporting?

  • Karen September 5, 2016 (8:32 pm)

     Our unit was also broken into in the group at store more. I have to say that I found the managers to be very proactive, helpful, and upset at this. They were very respectful of people’s belongings that had been strewn about.  They were working hard to secure the units that were broken into.   The managers seemed to take this personally and were shaken up.  

    How about lets direct our anger at the jerks who did this.

  • Curate September 5, 2016 (9:59 pm)

    I’m hoping we hear more details about these crimes. Judy & Michael (Stor More managers who live on-site) are quality people and excellent business folk. I am wondering how the criminals accessed the property, much less hauled out all the stolen items. Did they jump fences?

  • Double Dub Resident September 6, 2016 (4:31 am)

    Well I would think that these people have access to get in somehow 

  • AHP September 6, 2016 (8:38 am)

    This is at the Luna Park area Stor Mor, not the one in White Center?

    • WSB September 6, 2016 (8:46 am)

      Yes. We double-verified that with the first victim from whom we heard, and the police report correlated.

  • Wsea98116 September 6, 2016 (12:26 pm)

    How does someone break into 28 units?  Cut the hasp, open the door, move sofas and tables and bikes to access boxes, open and search through the stuff, collect the booty, on to the next, cut the hasp, open the door… ?!?!

    this is a major project!? They must have to close the street and flag traffic!? I can’t get my daughter to pick up her socks, and these guys are like Circ de soleil? On steroids! It really is quite impressive. And they do all of this without being detected by ANYONE?! Seattle really should hire these people as consultants to city construction projects. Or maybe Stor-more should hire them to manage facilities..? 

    Storage Burglars- “Lets take care of business!”

  • East Coast Cynic September 6, 2016 (3:36 pm)

    @WSEA98166, and from what I understand, the owners live on the property.  They must be sound sleepers:/

    • WSB September 6, 2016 (4:24 pm)

      We talked to the managers this afternoon. They confirmed the burglars cut the “hasps.” Those have all been replaced; they spent 14 hours on that yesterday. Apparently entry was made via a fence at the back of the property. The owners, the managers told us, took turns guarding the fence until it could be repaired. Meantime, I have not heard from Public Storage, which, as covered previously, also has been hit with multiple break-ins.

  • Ray September 10, 2016 (12:01 pm)

    The resident managers are very nice people and say they have their owner/regional manager’s backing to beef up security but they are looking at expensive fence improvements when the real solution would be alarms at the doors and monitored motion detectors for the nighttime hours when the facility is closed. Ridiculous that 28 units could be ransacked while the resident managers sleep soundly on the premises. 

  • very concerned September 12, 2016 (2:48 am)

    Tell all of your friends NOT to use these West Seattle Storage facilities.  Break-Ins have been occurring for years.  The owners of these places do nothing to prevent this.

Sorry, comment time is over.