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Jun 15, 2007 6:13 am US/Eastern
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CBS 2 HD Undercover: Security Lapses At NYC Hotels
You May Think You're Safe & Sound, But Are You Really?
by Kirstin Cole
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
If you're planning a vacation, you should know crime at hotels and motels across the country increases during the summer months.
In a hidden camera investigation, CBS 2 HD found serious lapses in hotel security. There's a lot you need to know before hitting the road.
It's late, you're tired, you want to get into your room but you've just become a prime target.
"The last think (people) think of is they're going to be seriously injured or killed while traveling alone," said Jeff Zwirn, a safety consultant with IDS Research & Development.
CBS 2 HD took him to a hotel in midtown Manhattan. Without a reservation or room key we went to the guest floors, easily exposing their lack of security.
"Could you let me in my room," Zwirn asked a hotel employee.
Just by asking the maid, he was allowed into a room that doesn't even belong to him. He was never confirmed as a guest, and this happens all too frequently, he says.
They're stories ripped from the headlines, hotel guests recently attacked, raped and robbed.
"People are taking for granted that the hotel is their eyes and ears, and that's not true," said Zwirn.
An Atlanta family staying at Manhattan's Millennium Hotel was attacked in April. They were forced into their room, robbed and tied up. Another woman was assaulted in Midtown just outside her hotel room.
The hotel industry doesn't keep statistics on crime, making it hard to know if this is part of a growing trend, but 10,000 security related lawsuits are filed against hotels each year.
We took our undercover cameras to five Manhattan hotels, where we freely gained access to elevators and guest hallways. We were also able to peek in rooms and roam the stairwells. We were thwarted only once, by keycard access-only elevators at the W in Times Square.
This hotel has a guard post stating only guests with room keys are allowed on the elevators, but with no guard in sight, we headed upstairs.
Think all those cameras watching your every move are keeping you safe? We were able to push a member of our CBS team into the elevator, snatch her purse, and simply close the doors with her locked inside.
"The problem is cameras are being used for recording purposes," said Zwirn. "They're not being used for surveillance real time."
Here's how to make you less of a target: Choose a room far from the elevator and stairwells so a potential attacker can't quickly escape. Use the bellman when checking in and have him assure you no one is hiding in your room. Always hang the 'Do not disturb' sign, making it look as if you're in your room.
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)