16 Sept 02

From a friend in upscale hotel management:

"There is a South American gang currently breaking into upscale hotel/motel rooms up and down the East Coast. They are slowly making their way to the Midwest. They are well dressed and smooth. The item most often stolen from guest rooms is laptop computers (they go for good bucks on e-bay). Gang members typically watch guests check in, then wait until they go to dinner. Breaking into their room is relatively easy.

They generally call the room first, then knock. If there is no answer, they then look through the peep hole. Darkened rooms are seldom broken into, because there is a chance the resident is sleeping therein.

Burglary suspects often claim to be hotel employees delivering towels, telephones, pizza, etc.

Breaking in is no problem. It requires two screw drivers and ten seconds. Those with less imagination just kick the door. Most will fly open with even a mild kick. The dead bolt, when used, will delay entry up to a minute or so."

Lessons:

When staying in hotel/motel rooms, ALWAYS be armed.

When in your room, put out the "Do Not Disturb" sign and pull the curtains in order to darken the room.

When possible, don't stay on the first floor, but don't stay above the second floor. Second floor is best. Second-floor rooms are seldom burglarized from the outside, but the room is still close enough to the ground, so that an exit from the window (in case of fire) can still be accomplished quickly with little chance of injury.

When in your guest room, ALWAYS engage the dead bolt and chain.

If someone unexpectedly knocks on your hotel room door claiming to be delivering something, don't let them in. Instruct them to leave whatever item they have at the hotel desk. Be suspicious if your hotel room phone rings, but, when you answer, the calling party immediately hangs up.

Don't leave anything valuable (particularly your laptop) in your guest room when you're not there.

Understand that a hotel/motel room, even in an upscale establishment, is NOT as secure as is commonly thought. It's not like your home. Hotel rooms are routinely burglarized. You don't hear about it, because the hotel industry keeps it quiet, but make no mistake. It's a growth industry!

/John