Category Archives: Crime

by | May 30, 2013 · 5:58 am

Hospitality Industry Crime Risks: New York Hotel Rooms Burglarized By Man Who Stole Housekeeping Master Key

“…An investigation found the housekeeping master key had been stolen. Maintenance personnel reported an individual had been seen using a card to enter a room other than his own, and more guests reported thefts and observations of someone entering rooms without authorization…A hotel thefthotel guest on the second floor claimed that when he returned to his room at 7 p.m. he found his suitcases unzipped, marks on a locked briefcase, two watches and other personal items missing, as well as the dresser from the room…”

After allegedly stealing the master key from the Super 8 Hotel on Route 17, a Hillburn, N.Y., man was arrested on charges of burglary, theft, and drug possession, according to Police Chief James Batelli. Frank Hadley, 40, who was a registered guest in a room on the third floor of the hotel from May 14-21, was arrested Monday, May 20, after an investigation by the Mahwah Police Department found he had stolen the master key and broke into hotel rooms.

Another guest, who was also staying on the second floor, reported that he was wakened by a knock at his door followed by the sound of the key card accessing the room. The guest went to grab the door and confronted the perpetuator who “rambled about having problems with satellite reception on the third floor,” Batelli said. The customer didn’t get a good look of the man at his door because of poor lighting, he said.

For more:  http://www.northjersey.com/news/209458021_Alleged_Mahwah_hotel_theif_stole_master_key.html

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by | May 28, 2013 · 5:59 am

Hospitality Industry Crime Solutions: Alaska Restaurant Uses “Facebook Posting” To Track Down Thieves Who Broke Into Company Freezer

“…In Facebook postings that began Saturday morning, the owner of Kriner’s Diner said they had surveillance camera footage of a car and at Restaurant Social Media Helps Find Thievesleast two suspects who, the diner’s owner alleges, broke into the company freezer just before 5 a.m. Saturday…Once the pictures hit the web, they spread rapidly online. The operator of the diner’s page said just one picture was shared nearly 48,000 times within 24 hours of being posted…”

The owners of a Midtown restaurant are crediting social media with helping nab the suspects who stole meat from the company freezer. The payoff came Sunday, just after noon, when Kriner’s Diner updated its Facebook page, writing that “Facebook friends” had spotted the car in question and called the police, resulting in an arrest.

It’s a call the restaurant’s owner said wouldn’t have happened without the postings on social media.

“I had mentioned what had happened on my page, and you know, tips just started pouring in and people wanted to help,” Andy Kriner said Monday. “I posted it on our Kriner’s Facebook page and within 30 hours, they were in custody.”

Kriner said he uses the social network often, posting specials and other information about his restaurant, but never before had he used it like this.

“An average post of mine has 1,500 views, and I have a lot of people go on there day to day just to look at our lunch specials,” he said. “I think that this probably had a lot to do with it.”

Kriner said he couldn’t comment on the details of the still-active investigation—he declined to disclose just how much meat or what other products were stolen, nor how many suspects had been arrested—but he said the postings on Facebook played a vital role making the arrest.

For more:  http://www.ktva.com/home/outbound-xml-feeds/Facebook-Helps-Nab-Suspect-in-Freezer-Theft-209112041.html

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by | May 26, 2013 · 6:38 am

Hospitality Industry Theft Risks: Indiana Hotel “Human Resources Employee” Fired After Issuing “Fraudulent Paychecks” To Himself

“…the HR director was solely responsible for issuing the paychecks for all employees at the hotel…Police were told that more than $7,045 was hospitality industry employee theftpaid to the employee beyond his regular earnings for his job, beginning in December…his boss told police that an internal investigation turned up evidence of the bogus extra paychecks, prompting the worker’s firing…”

A hotel executive has been fired after the hotel’s manager told police that he had been writing extra paychecks to himself. Airport police were called this week to the Radisson Indianapolis Airport, where the general manager handed officers copies of fraudulent paychecks that had been written to the hotel’s director of human resources.

General Manager Nitin Talati declined to comment in his hotel’s lobby on Thursday. His staff could be heard telling phone callers that the hotel was entirely booked for this week’s Indianapolis 500.

Police said Talati told them he had called the employee in when the checks were discovered and the worker admitted to writing himself the extra paychecks. The worker then signed a promissory note on April 12 agreeing to repay the money. Talati reported to police that none of the money had been repaid, so his company now wants to press charges.

For more:  http://www.theindychannel.com/news/call-6-investigators/former-hotel-executive-at-radisson-indianapolis-airport-accused-of-writing-himself-extra-paychecks

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by | May 23, 2013 · 5:57 am

Hospitality Industry Security Solutions: Texas Hotels And Motels Form “Crime-Fighting Network” By Using Email Chain To Report Local Criminal Activity

“…there are about a hundred hotels on an email chain, reporting criminal activity… Awhile back, police busted a counterfeit ring happening in area hotels…they were eventually caught because we had shared the information amongst the hotel network, they were caught by the police Hotel Crime Fighting Networkdepartment…businesses also rely on surveillance cameras to alert each other of suspicious activity…”

You can call it a crime-fighting network of sorts. Area hotels and motels work together to help keep you safe. “You never know when a situation will come up, ” said Bill Brendel, General Manager of the Crockett Hotel downtown.

Unfortunately, Brendel went on to say the crime at the top of hotels’ list are car burglaries. You’ll find most hotels have signs warning you about them. “So we just tell people don’t leave a bunch of things in your car, ‘ Brendel went on to say.

During the peak of the summer tourist season Brendel says the San Antonio Police Department will work closely with downtown hotels to keep an extra eye on your car. “And they do extra surveillance, and it’s been very effective, ” said Brendel.

For more:  http://www.woai.com/news/local/story/Hotel-security-network-curbs-crime/VkpxX6Ah00qO_Z2wNnCZng.cspx

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by | May 16, 2013 · 5:50 am

Hospitality Industry Security Risks: Thirty Arizona Hotels Burglarized By “Electronic Door Hackers” Using Portable Programming Devices; TV’s, Laptops And Credit Cards Stolen

“…Surveillance video showed the suspects, both white males in their 20s, entering the hotel and then leaving with the victim’s suitcases… some Onity Electronic Lock30 local hotels — probably more — have been targeted by hotel hackers. Investigators believe there are more suspects than those caught on surveillance video…hotel hacking is not just a local problem. Because the technology used to open the electronic locks is so easy to obtain and use, hotel hacking is growing issue nationwide…”

A man and a woman have been burglarizing hotel and motel rooms in the Easy Valley and now Silent Witness is offering a reward for information about them. According to Silent Witness, the pair, dubbed “Hotel Hackers,” used portable programming devices to get into the rooms at various locations in Mesa, Tempe, Scottsdale and possibly Avondale. It’s not clear how many locations the pair has hit, but Silent Witness said the crime spree started on Feb. 25.

The suspects have stolen TVs, bedding, laptop computers and guests’ personal belongings, including credit cards.

Silent Witness released surveillance video (above) and photos of the pair, both of which were taken at a Walmart store where the suspects used a stolen credit card.

For more: http://www.azfamily.com/news/Hotel-Hackers-behind-burglaries-at-hotels-motels-in-East-Valley-207552391.html

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by | May 13, 2013 · 6:31 am

Hospitality Industry Legal Risks: Pennsylvania Restaurant Settles “Excessive Alcohol Lawsuit” For $8.9 Million; Staff To Complete “Responsible Alcohol Management Training” And Establish “Designated Driver Program”

“…(the drunk driver) consumed at least six liters of beer and several  shots of liquor over a period of about 41/2 hours…(he) vomited on a table and was  escorted out of the bar by security. He was allowed to leave, walked to his car  and crashed a short time later…his Hospitality Industry Excessive Alcohol Lawsuitsblood-alcohol level an hour after the crash was 0.219, more than twice  the legal limit…”

  • The restaurant’s staff, including managers, servers, bartenders and security, to be certified  in Responsible Alcohol Management training through an approved Pennsylvania  Liquor Control Board trainer.
  • Responsibility for identifying intoxicated guests will be included in job  descriptions for security personnel. In addition, the restaurant will establish  guidelines for responsible alcohol service and disseminate those to  employees.
  • It will use a new point-of-sales system to provide individual checks so they  know how much alcohol each customer is getting.
  • It also will provide water to  guests to slow alcohol consumption; will establish a designated driver program  providing complimentary non-alcohol beverages and will provide free light food  for guests who appear to be intoxicated.

The family of a 7-year-old girl who was killed by a drunken driver in 2010  after he left the Hofbrauhaus restaurant on the South Side on Tuesday reached a  $15.6 million settlement with the company. In addition to the financial payout, the German-style facility has agreed to  a number of changes in its protocol to try to reduce customer intoxication and  drunken driving.

Lexa Cleland, who was asleep in the back seat as her mother drove to pick up  her husband, Mark, from work the night of Dec. 4, 2010, was killed instantly  when her mother’s Toyota Camry was struck by a Ford Mustang driven by Travis  Isiminger on East Carson Street on the South Side.

The settlement breakdown pays $8.9 million to Nicole Cleland; $500,000 to  Mark Cleland; $2.1 million to the estate of Lexa Cleland; and just over $4  million to their attorneys, Goodrich & Associates, for costs and fees.

The lawsuit was filed against Hofbrauhaus and Isiminger, whose insurance will  be responsible for paying $100,000 of the settlement.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-city/owners-of-south-sides-hofbrauhaus-settle-in-girls-death-for-156-million-686644/#ixzz2TBFxrkyx

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by | May 1, 2013 · 6:33 am

Hospitality Industry Privacy Risks: Texas Hotel Employee Arrested For “Attempted Improper Photography And Visual Recording”; Cell Phone Placed In Ceiling Above Guest Room Shower

“…Police say a guest reported hearing an alarm-type sound coming from the bathroom area of her hotel room while she was in the shower…she hotel room privacyfound a small pinhole with a camera lens behind it in the ceiling. After moving the tiles, she discovered the cell phone…Hotel security removed the camera from the ceiling and noted that it was powered on…The room’s electric lock showed that (the defendant) had entered the room the day prior with the key assigned to him….”

A housekeeper at the Hyatt Regency hotel located at 208 Barton Springs is charged with misdemeanor attempted improper photography and visual recording. Blue Moo Too, 30, is charged after his cell phone was found hidden in a ceiling tile above the shower of one of the hotel rooms.

Video on the phone showed a man placing it in the bathroom ceiling and wiping away his footprints from the bathtub. The hotel’s executive housekeeper identified the man as her employee, Too, a housekeeper at the hotel.

Too was booked into Travis County Jail on April 12 with a $25,000 bail. He has since bonded out. Police say they didn’t find evidence of any other victims on his cell phone. His computer is still being looked at. At this time, the former housekeeper is facing up to one year in jail and a fine of no more than $4,000.

For more: http://www.kvue.com/news/Hyatt-hotel-worker-charged-with-improper-photography-203045331.html

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by | April 26, 2013 · 6:13 am

Hospitality Industry Crime Risks: Las Vegas Hotel Guest Rooms Burglarized By Thieves “Walking Down Hallways And Door Pushing”; Victims Held In Bathroom While Personal Items Stolen

“…Thieves can walk down a hallway and just by slightly pushing on a door can determine those rooms that are left unsecured… But Hotel Burglariesjust days after the couple’s stuff was stolen from the Luxor, police arrested two men for a similar crime at Excalibur…This time police paperwork indicated the thieves held the victims in the bathroom and stole their stuff. Hueslkamp think it’s tied to his case and said the hotel should be responsible for what’s stolen…”

Some Las Vegas tourists expect to lose thousands gambling inside the casino, but if they’re not careful they could also get ripped off inside their hotel room. Huelskamp, an Ohio tourist, told Action News his story via Skype. He said that he and his fiance were staying at the Luxor and while they were sleeping a thief walked right into their room. It’s crime police call “door pushing” and it can happen at any hotel.

The couple took a photo of the door they thought closed behind them. There is no dead bolt and after a long road-trip to Las Vegas they went to bed thinking they were safe. “We went to bed, we know at 1:26 a.m. because we watched a movie on the iPad that was later stolen,” Huelskamp said. “It was no further than six inches away from my beautiful wife’s head.”
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Police don’t know how often door pushing happens because they get hundreds of reports of burglaries every day. After this happened and even in travels today I am still a little weary about staying in a hotel no matter where we are,” he said.
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The Luxor sent Action News a statement that reads “We are sorry for the Hueslkamp’s unfortunate experience. Our resorts have extensive security and surveillance systems in place but there is no substitute for being alert. Even on vacation, guests should always remain aware of their surroundings and ensure their hotel room doors are securely closed and locked at all times.”
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by | April 22, 2013 · 6:04 am

Hospitality Industry Security Solutions: Hotels In Metropolitan Areas Should “Create Actual Security” With “Layers Of Properly Trained Personnel”; A Need For Sophisticated Security Cameras For Thermal And Infrared Viewing

“…what (hoteliers) want to create is actual security and depth—layers of properly trained personnel to meet the risks that are known for the venue you’re in…if you’re in Times Square, covert effort is more appropriate…vulnerability audits help find ‘weakness in the system that can be hotel securityexploited or lapse during a crisis’…the audit shows some oft-forgotten measures, such as making sure the hotel’s website can handle a thousand times the traffic without crashing or that associates know appropriate protocols….every employee is a crisis manager and a (public relations representative) for the organization…’if you don’t teach them what they should and shouldn’t do, they’ll wing it’, and that can be dangerous to a hotel’s reputation…”

“…(sophisticated security equipment such as) thermal and infrared viewing for nighttime and low-visibility conditions, license plate readers, car counters, people counters, cameras with analytics that follow subjects automatically and alert critical areas of operation…”

While hotels can be safe havens for guests, they can be the target of attacks as well. Anthony C. Roman, president of risk-management firm Roman & Associates, said the hotel industry has suffered in the last decade. Hard economic times globally have caused hotels to cut back on security budgets. As more hotels are taking the appropriate preventive security measures, other hotel brands have not addressed the issue at all. “And yet other brands are subcontracting their security requirements to private security companies,” he said.

The constant flow of large numbers of people in and out of hotels during daily business hours makes them vulnerable for attacks, according to global intelligence agency Stratfor. “There’s certainly fear,” Haley explained. “There are few targets that offer the potential awards for motivated terrorists that hotels do.” Those rewards are a large target with potentially massive body counts and global exposure. The problem with hotels, he added, is “they’re open and inviting places.”

For more:  http://www.hotelnewsnow.com/Articles.aspx/10326/Terrorism-risks-heighten-hotelier-awareness

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by | April 20, 2013 · 5:50 am

Hospitality Industry Security Risks: Hotels And Resorts Are “Vulnerable To Security Threats” And Crime As Staff Is Trained To Maximize Guest Experience

“…Because of the nature of their business, implementing TSA-style security measures at hotels would not be a good idea, Todd Seiders says. “They would have to limit the entry into their buildings, search bags, confirm you have business there and inconvenience everyone. The general department of homeland_securitypublic will not stand for that (look at the continuing uproar about the TSA at airports).”…Complicating the issue is the fact that hotel staff members are, by and large, trained to please potential guests, which can render them vulnerable to security threats…”

Todd Seiders, director of risk management at Petra Risk Solutions and former director of loss prevention at Marriott, discussed how hotels and public events can work to increase traveler safety in the future.

“The Boston Marathon bombing is just another example of how hard it is to secure public places and events,” Seiders says. “According to the news, bomb dogs had swept the finish line area 1 hour prior to the start of the marathon. So obviously police did everything they could to secure the area, and the bombs were brought in during the event.”

“There is a constant clash between hotel security experts and seasoned hotel management people, whose pay and bonuses depend on guest satisfaction surveys and comments,” Seiders continues. “Hotel security experts need to find more guest friendly ways to provide security, and hotel managers need to take security more seriously. A large number of hotels do not have a dedicated security staff, so security falls on the guest service staff, and guest service staff is trained never to say no or to offend or interfere with the guest experience.”

Seiders recommends hotels install HD cameras to monitor open public spaces, exits and entrances, both to deter crime and to aid investigation should one occur. Staff should be trained to pick up and investigate unattended bags or luggage, and hotels should work closely with their local police of sheriff department, along with Homeland Security, to discuss security and terrorism.

For more:  http://www.travelagentcentral.com/trends-research/trend-watch-suspects-boston-bombings-surface-whats-next-travel-security-40155

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