Although it may be hard to imagine by looking out a window, the Atlantic Hurricane season is well under way. The season officially kicked off June 1st and poses a danger to hotel guests, their belongings, and of course, the hotel. The danger doesn’t just lie with the havoc mother nature can cause, but what looters can do.
Think back to Hurricane Odie and what happened in Baja. NBC News and other media outlets reported that many hotels were looted along with other buildings. Some looting happened before the storm hit as lodging properties were evacuated. The hotel properties that remained open during the storm even experienced looting while the hurricane was raging through the Baja. However, the majority of theft occurred afterward, while everyone was distracted by the storm damage and recovery efforts. Similar occurrences happened during other named storms, including Katrina and Sandy.
What may be done to prevent that from happening during the 2016 Atlantic Hurricane Season and beyond? For starters, Safemark deters crimes with the the installation of drawer safes. Drawer safes and other hotel safes may have helped keep some of that looting at bay. As we all know, the looter’s goal is to get in, grab what he or she can, and then get out undetected. Having drawer safes or any other type of safe in the guest room will undoubtedly slow looters down. Perhaps, the looters would just abandon a secure property in lieu of targeting hotels where safes are not installed.
To learn more about preparing hotel properties for the 2016 Atlantic Hurricane Season with drawer safes and other security measures, please contact us today.