“As a self-storage operator, you have a critical, ongoing role to play in the fight against terrorism,” Teri Lanza wrote in an editorial at Inside Self-Storage last week. But what exactly is the role of self storage operators in preserving our freedoms?
Last November the U.S. Department of Homeland Security asked the national Self Storage Association to request that its 6,000 members, along with their state association affiliates and members, and all of the self storage owners and operators who are connected with those associations, keep an eye out for terrorists. The Homeland Security Department asked that self storage operators report any activity that makes them suspect possible terrorism immediately to their local Joint Terrorism Task Force. But most businesspeople would find it difficult, and many self storage operators are struggling with the idea, that a government agency would ask them to spy on their customers.
The National Terror Alert issued last fall does not explain what might be grounds for suspecting someone of possible illegal or terrorist activity. Lanza quotes the Department of Homeland Security as advising that self storage operators pay special attention to people who pay cash for their storage unit, people who want 24-hour access to storage, people who pay for quite a few months of storage in advance, people who behave “suspiciously,” people who abandon “suspicious” items, people who have “suspicious” identification, people who have unverified addresses or phone numbers, and people who have burns or scars but who do not or cannot explain how they got them, considering the possibility that any of these factors might be indicative of a potential terrorist. But none of these characteristics, in and of themselves, or even in combination, would be considered probable cause for a legal search anywhere in the United States.
For example, self storage tenants commonly want 24-access to their storage units -- that’s why 24-hour access is becoming an industry standard. But surely not all self storage tenants should be suspected of being terrorists? Military families who are relocating overseas often pay their self storage rent for an extended period of time in advance. But that does not make them potential terrorists. It just makes them responsible. People who are moving may very well have unverified addresses or phone numbers. And what is considered “suspicious” behavior in Houston might be normal in New York -- and vice versa. Self storage operators see a lot of people who have just moved across the country -- fortunately, they have the good sense to realize that people who have moved to their town from far away might look or act a little different.
Any time that there is a national emergency, the response of businesses across the country varies. But the self storage industry as a whole has always been very protective of the privacy rights of self storage tenants. The anonymity of self storage is what makes it a safe refuge for people who are recovering from financial or personal disasters: families whose homes have been foreclosed on, families who have lost their homes to a natural disaster such as a tornado or hurricane, battered women who are stockpiling their possessions in a secret location preparatory to leaving a dangerous and violent relationship, and even celebrities, who need self storage for all the same reasons that anyone else would, but may prefer to rent anonymously.
Business owners may also have a reason to rent self storage units privately -- they might prefer to have a private place to store proprietary merchandise or products that relate to trade secrets in their industry. Or they may be renting storage units on behalf of clients (celebrities or people who have attained some local fame or notoriety) who would prefer to have their identities kept anonymous.
In some cases, people like to make anonymous donations to charity. Sometimes those donations are collected by a self storage facility.
All sorts of people have reasons for renting self storage units that they might prefer to keep private. Even people who do not have a special reason for wanting privacy may still prefer to have it, simply on general principles. Self storage operators vigorously protect the privacy rights of their tenants -- and so they should.
In fact, the Maine Self Storage Association was so concerned about the privacy rights of people whose financial records are stored by mortgage companies and other third parties (such as medical offices, landlords, etc.) that last year it spearheaded state legislation protecting private information in documents. The legislation applies to all kinds of private information that might be collected about a person and held in records by a third party: financial information, medical information, Social Security numbers, birthdates.
In fact, at least once or twice a year Inside Self-Storage publishes an article for self storage operators about how to better protect their tenants’ privacy rights.
Even so, accidents happen. Last March, in Hixson, Tennessee, a self storage operator following the instructions of the Department of Homeland Security to report anything suspicious called the police because a tractor trailer had been left in its parking lot for a few hours. The operator knew who the driver was -- he had filled out a self storage lease -- but said the driver had expressed “different views.” Ultimately, the Chattanooga Police Department and agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives broke into the truck, drilling a hole into it to see what was inside.
The agents concluded that the Hixson truck posed “no danger to the public.” But before this determination was made, agents blocked roads, 250 area homes were evacuated, and children were forced to take different routes home from school.
This is exactly the kind of incident that most self storage operators vigorously protect their tenants from.
“Not all storage operators feel a social responsibility for such great matters,” Lanza notes at the end of her Sept. 10 article. “They keep out of their customers’ way and turn a blind eye to unusual behavior or stored goods.” Lanza calls upon self storage operators to be more vigilant.
Self storage operators are patriotic citizens who will certainly do their part if they have a reason to suspect that something is very wrong. Anyone who doubts the strong patriotism of American self storage operators, as an industry standard, should take due note of the many many facilities across the country that collect donations for American troops overseas and that offer special discounts and deals to veterans and members of military families. Any owner of any business would do the same. But there is no reason to suspect self storage tenants of being terrorists any more than one might suspect patrons of the local grocery store of committing illegal acts. In fact, self storage facilities would lose business -- and rightly so -- if tenants grew to believe that operators were spying on them or taking notes about whether the items they moved in or out of a storage unit were somehow “suspicious.”
Protecting the homeland from terrorism is important. But equally important -- especially on a day like September 11 -- is protecting American rights and liberties. And when it comes to protecting privacy rights, self storage operators are on the front lines.
Note: This article was updated and corrected on September 15.
Sources used:
“Celebrities rent storage spaces!” Self-Storage Talk. General Self-Storage Forums: Tales from the Trenches.
Dept. of Homeland Security. “Self-Storage Association issues terrorism alert to facilities.” National Terror Alert. Sept. 26, 2009.
Lanza, Teri. “Remembering 9/11: self-storage operators play a role in national security.” Inside Self-Storage. Sept. 10, 2010.
Six Kudo, Gina. “Are you following good practices regarding your tenants’ privacy?” Inside Self-Storage. Aug. 18, 2009.
South, Todd. “Suspicious truck causes evacuation of residents.” The Chattanooga Times Free Press. March 25, 2010.
Stevens, John. “Self Storage Association members join fight against terrorism.” Self Storage Industry News. Nov. 2, 2009.
Whitney, Drew. “Guarding customers’ privacy.” Inside Self-Storage. Jan. 25, 2008.
Zucker, Scott. “Privacy rights in self storage.” Inside Self-Storage. March 1, 2006.