West Seattle Crime Watch: Still fairly quiet

motorcycleofficer.jpg

First, a photo – this one from Mac, who asked this Seattle Police traffic officer for permission to take his picture – he obliged, then wished Mac a “good day” before zooming off to write a ticket. Not too much else happening in police-land according to our most recent review of reports at the Southwest Precinct:

For example – no West Seattle burglaries in the report stack. That’s the second report review in a row with low or no burglaries, since the wave of recent arrests. Here are the few things that ARE worth noting:

TEEN PUNCHES TEEN: Just before 4 pm Monday, a 13-year-old boy had to be taken to the hospital after getting punched in the face in the 5000 block of Genesee. He said he was walking in the area when other teens approached him and one said “stop messing with my little brother” before hitting him. Police couldn’t find the suspect.

CAR BREAK-IN: After dining in the 1900 block of Harbor on Tuesday night, two people came out to find someone had smashed the rear window of their car and taken items including a laptop and PDA. Surveillance video recorded a person who might be a suspect.

ANOTHER CAR BREAK-IN: This one happened around 11 am last Friday in an alley in the 9000 block of 35th; an iPod and car stereo were stolen.

STORAGE-LOCKER BREAK-IN: This happened around 4 am March 12 but wasn’t noticed till Monday; someone was caught on surveillance video breaking into a storage locker in a condo garage in the 1100 block of Alki Avenue. Only one known break-in was reported but other residents were to be asked to check their lockers.

DANGEROUS DRIVING: Just before 6 pm Saturday, two drivers engaged in something of a dangerous game. First a 40-year-old woman told police that another driver, who turned out to be a 23-year-old man, had waved her around as they headed toward West Seattle on the bridge, but then he flipped her off, made a “shooting” type gesture with his hand, and followed her around WS. When police caught up with him at 42nd and Genesee, he said she actually had tailgated him, and then gotten in front of him and slammed on her brakes. The police report says she admitted doing something “dumb.” Both drivers were warned to avoid such behavior in the future.

GO AWAY AND STAY AWAY: Tuesday around noon, for the second time in about a week, police talked with a 47-year-old man believed to be living out of his pickup truck in the Highland Park area. Neighbors thought they saw him drinking; previously, he had been reported to have been watching children at Highland Park Elementary. This time, police told him he needed to get out of the area or else they would cite him.

GRAFFITI VANDALS: Besides the reader reports we got a few days ago, there was also a police report filed for vandalism sometime last Friday in the 8600 block of 10th SW; a fence and garage were tagged.

STOLEN? Police got a report of an apparently stolen car abandoned near West Seattle Bowl this morning. Nobody had reported the 1985 Nissan pickup stolen as of the time police were called, but it looked pretty suspicious — all locks and ignition damaged, windshield cracked, parked on the street with the window down in the pouring rain. It was a traffic hazard, too, so police called for a tow truck to have it impounded.

As we always remind you – don’t hesitate to call police when you see or hear something suspicious, and of course when you believe a crime has been (or is being) committed. In addition to 911, there’s a non-emergency line at 206/625-5011. A big collection of Seattle Police crime-prevention resources is linked from the Southwest Precinct’s Crime Prevention page. Previous WSB police-report coverage is archived on our Crime Watch page.

21 Replies to "West Seattle Crime Watch: Still fairly quiet"

  • Pelicans March 26, 2008 (10:53 pm)

    “…before zooming off to write a ticket.” Maybe he caught a road rage driver, or a red light runner, or a stolen car or someone who didn’t stop for people in a crosswalk. They do so much more than just write tickets.

  • Creighton March 27, 2008 (12:24 am)

    This pic of a Seattle cop on his Harley reminded me of an article I just read reporting that one Florida city saved it’s taxpayers quite a bit of money by switching to Honda motorcycles. “A faster, safer, better-performing motorcycle that’s cheaper.” That’s how Officer Chris Dye from the Lake Mary Police Department described his new Honda ST1300 to a local news station. His department worked out that not only were the Honda’s $2,500 cheaper than the rival from Milwaukee, but that the servicing costs for each bike per year would drop from $2,700 with Harley to $520 with Honda.

    http://hellforleathermagazine.com/2008/03/florida-police-department-save.html#more

  • Cliffe March 27, 2008 (1:37 am)

    Has anyone noticed the unmarked purple police car pulling people over on 35th Ave? I see him just about every day as I leave for work pulling someone over. Is it usual for WS to have unmarked cars writing tickets like this?

  • Todd in Westwood March 27, 2008 (5:22 am)

    the SPD motorcycles have been enforcing the 20 mph school zone over here on Roxbury, so watch your speed.

  • WSB March 27, 2008 (5:30 am)

    I should have qualified, Pel., that was Mac’s onscene report.

  • baba nulu March 27, 2008 (8:11 am)

    There is no requirement to ask permission to photograph a SPD officer doing his job. It is unfortuneate that citizens are so intimidated by the police. A news photojournalist needs not ask, nor should ask, for permission to take photos. What would Mac have done if the traffic officer had told him, “no pictures”?

  • Mac March 27, 2008 (8:22 am)

    I’m a different Mac, but I agree with babu above. There is no need to ask permission, as it is wholly legal to photograph an officer at any time they are on duty.

  • JimmyG March 27, 2008 (8:31 am)

    While there’s no requirement you ask before taking a photo, isn’t it just basic good manners?

    I could see if it was in the midst of an arrest or demonstration that you don’t have to get permission, but asking anyone you photograph first is always the polite thing to do.

    Maybe it’s because I travel outside the U.S. so much, but I’m very used to asking permission before I take photos of people. Besides, if I took photos of the cops while I was in the Middle East or China without asking first I would be in trouble!

  • Manners March 27, 2008 (8:31 am)

    Doesn’t mean that it isn’t courteous and polite to ask to take anyone’s photo. Manners…………

  • WSB March 27, 2008 (8:34 am)

    Well, there’s that. Permission is not needed to take anyone’s photo in a public place, ever, and we ourselves pretty much just snap away (although sensitivity is called for when snapping kids, for example), but in this case, so you all know, Mac – a reader who sends pix sometimes, as do many (and everyone is welcome to), NOT someone out on assignment for us – just happened to mention in his e-mail that he asked permission, and I thought that was a cute bit of info to include.

  • beachdrivegirl March 27, 2008 (8:40 am)

    Creighton that is intersesting. I would have never guessed. It would be even more interesting to see if the City of Seattle has ever considered something of that sort.

  • Todd in Westwood/S.Delridge March 27, 2008 (9:15 am)

    Hmmm, I know people who have gotten tickets for parking motorcycles on the sidewalk. Wonder what would happen if I wrote him a citation?

  • Aim March 27, 2008 (9:23 am)

    WSB: Was there any information on the kids waving a rifle out their car window on Delridge last Saturday? We reported the license plate number, so I can’t imagein they *weren’t* caught.

  • schwaggy March 27, 2008 (9:23 am)

    Cliffe – I can tell you this. The car you see it part of a 3-car team so watch your speed… and look out for the “lookouts”. The officer writing the citations is being told on the radio which drivers to pull over.

  • amused March 27, 2008 (9:26 am)

    Some of you people should think before you write.

  • WSB March 27, 2008 (9:30 am)

    Aim, no, but I actually have a message out to the precinct to ask about some of the reports – they have moved to a new computerized system so the printouts are kind of a side enterprise now – I was looking for another one from the weekend that I couldn’t find either.

  • JimmyG March 27, 2008 (10:05 am)

    Todd, the RCW (Revised Code of Washington) allows emergency vehicles (police, medics, fire vehicles) to stop, stand, and park irrespective of the RCW’s. In other words they can park in places where civilian vehicles would get a ticket.

    So if you’ve got an infraction book around I say try out your idea. Except for the minor detail that the motor cop pictured isn’t committing any violation.

  • gwen c. March 27, 2008 (10:52 am)

    if it means people clean up their behavior in the Junction, i’m not going to complain, though it would be nice to put a stop to the insanity on Admiral next…the aggressive driving, tailgating (hi i’m doing 5 over, there are two lanes and i’m in the right one, why are you five feet from my car?), and of course the parade of lovely gestures. i’m starting to be afraid to drive on that street, you know. i’m not alone in having had my car bumped by a nutso driver in the past couple of months.

    as for asking permission first: it’s not just more polite, you often get much better pictures as a result even without posing (people always look shocked when i say “don’t pose!”) as the subject knows there’s a camera watching and people tend to want to look good for the camera.

  • RC March 27, 2008 (10:56 am)

    All of the “3 car team” were busy at 8:15 this AM enforcing the speed limits at Morgan Sbucks so be aware of your caffeine intake and speed whilst sipping there. I’m just guessing that would be the team afore mentioned, though.

  • barmargia March 27, 2008 (3:55 pm)

    I think the cops would be able to write a lot of tickets around 5:30 a.m. on Admiral, just yesterday I was crossing the street (with the light) in front of Starbucks, and not only did some jack*ss have to slam and squeal his breaks for me and the redlight, he then proceeded to go through that redlight and the redlight at the gas station and the California light.

  • angelescrest March 27, 2008 (8:41 pm)

    Gwen,
    I feel the same. I need to be in the far left lane on the bridge–I’m getting off on the 5 North. But it is almost daily that someone is right on my tail, practically running me off the road. Sometimes they’ll go around, only to get back over to the right lane to go off on the 99 or 5 South. (Like the woman two weeks ago, who looked absolutely crazed, bearing down on me in a very large 80’s something! I was terrified.) And like you, am going speed limit +5. You are really stuck on that bridge; would police presence help? Dunno.

Sorry, comment time is over.