Arapahoe County investigators warned about a significant rise in theft from storage facilities that started during the COVID-19 pandemic and has only gotten worse, according to a news release Wednesday.

In 2020, 115 theft cases were reported at rental storage facilities, and the numbers have increased “substantially” since, with 150 reported thefts in 2021, 144 reported thefts in 2022, 138 in 2023 and 59 so far in 2024, the release said.

While Arapahoe County Sheriff’s investigators see various methods of storage theft, one of the most common involves the thief renting a unit with a fake or stolen identity, stealing things from other units and keeping them in the rented unit, according to the release.

Another common method for thieves is to park a car by a fence and throw stolen goods over.

Thefts happen all hours of the day, with the thieves then selling the stolen items online, the release said.

“We’ve never seen it happen at this level before,” ACSO investigations Sgt. Brett Cohn said in the release. “We need to educate the public and take away the opportunity for these types of crimes. It’s the only way it’s going to stop.”

In mid-April, two thieves stole a computer from a unit at Greenbox Self Storage, 8115 S. Chester St., and stored it in a unit they rented using a stolen driver’s license. They came back for the computer in mid-May and have not been identified, according to the news release.

Investigators are asking the public for help identifying the two suspects, who appear in a surveillance video.

In late April, a thief stole more than $50,000 in property from two storage units at Public Storage, 9600 E. Costilla Ave. in Greenwood Village. Investigators searched the facility and found the stolen property in another unit the thief rented nearby, but have not identified the thief.

Sheriff’s investigator Nelson Trumbull said people should avoid using storage facilities for meaningful or valuable things, and instead use them for large items like furniture.

Cohn said renters should ask storage facility employees about their surveillance protocols and willingness to cooperate with police before renting a unit.

“The one thing we urge customers to ask before they rent a storage unit is, ‘Will you provide video to law enforcement without a search warrant and will you cooperate with them during the investigation?’,” Cohn said. “If we can get a video of a suspect, a vehicle or a license plate immediately, there’s a much better chance of catching the criminals and getting your belongings back.”

People who steal from storage units can be charged with felony burglary, criminal mischief or trespassing.

Investigators recommended asking storage facility employees the following questions:

• To describe their safety and security features
• If they have video cameras and if they’re monitored 24/7
• If the cameras are pointed directly at units
• How good the surveillance video quality is
• If anyone lives on site and, if so, what hours they are there and if they check the property
• If they get an alert about suspicious activity
• How often their staff does lock checks
• If all four walls and the ceiling are enclosed