West Seattle Crime Watch: Westwood break-in

| Crime | West Seattle news | Westwood

Shellie just e-mailed to share this report and to warn area residents:

Thursday, June 18th between 8am and 1pm a house on 32nd Ave SW, between Roxbury and Barton, was broken into. The thief took jewelry, select checks with a woman’s name on them, and a laptop. They broke into a window where a bar had been located, somehow moving the window around the security bar to get in. The only part of the house ransacked was the one bedroom although oddly two empty jewelry boxes were stuffed under the cushions of the living room couch. No other incidents have happened in the area that we know of but warning to all to lock your windows and doors before you leave. Neighbors please add more…..

This also gives us the occasion to share the “Summertime Security Tips” in the latest edition of Southwest Precinct Crime Prevention Coordinator Benjamin Kinlow‘s newsletter – read on (and if you are vacationing any time soon, note the last one):

Summertime Security Tips

During warm weather months, we often see an increase in burglary and theft. Reasons for this include:

* Windows at residences left open for ventilation when residents are not home.

* Unattended open garages while residents are working in the yard or have briefly left the home.

* Unattended personal belongings while at a park or other recreational venues.

* Unattended personal belongings visible in our vehicles.

We want to remind you about the potential for an increase in burglary and theft and provide you with concrete steps you can take to reduce your vulnerability. Please share these tips with your neighbors.

Close And Lock Windows; Limit How Far They Can Be Opened

* Always close and lock windows whenever away from the home. If you choose to ventilate your home when you are not home because of the heat, be aware that you are vulnerable and an easy target for the burglar.

* If you leave windows open enough for ventilation, secure with less than 4” opening with a dowel. Some windows have stops installed on the inside track, which help prevent the window from being opened too far. However, some of these are not very sturdy and can be opened given the right amount of force. Augment those stops with a dowel. For double hung windows, use sash pins to better secure the windows.

Lock Your Doors

Install good quality dead bolt locks with at least a 1” throw on all exterior doors.

* Replace the existing screws in the strike plates and two screws per hinge with 3-4 inch screws. This will secure the doorframe to the 2×4 framing of the house. This makes it much more difficult for a person to force open a properly locked door.

Working In The Yard

If working in the yard in the front or back of the home:

* Do not leave your front door open and/or unlocked. Close and lock garage and storage unit that is out of your line of sight. Be mindful of what is in plain view to anyone who may walk or drive by.
Secure Tools and Ladders

* Secure all tools, including ladders, so they cannot be used to gain entry into your home or that of a neighbor.

Make it appear that your home is occupied.

* You can do this by having timers set within the home that will turn lights on and off. You may want to consider timers for your exterior lights or photocell attachments (which activate when it gets dark and go off when it becomes light) and motion sensors.
If Away For An Extended Period Of Time

* Ask a friend or trusted neighbor to watch your home and collect your mail and your newspaper. If they see suspicious activity, they will know to call 911 for you.

* Call Police 625-5011 and ask for a “Request to Watch” for your home while on vacation

bridge to somewhere June 19, 2009 (11:42 am)

sorry for the bad news shellie. i live just a couple of blocks from you. i’ll definitely take mr. kinlow’s advice . . .

dameDonna June 19, 2009 (12:05 pm)

That sounds similar to what happened to our friends a few weeks ago on 20th (between Barton & Roxbury). They got in through the doggy door. They took random things that were easy to get money for and a pillow case to put the items in!! The police said they are seeing more break-ins lately. I have a feeling it’s the same people doing it. I’m so sorry people are going through all of this. :-( It’s just horrible!

CA June 19, 2009 (12:25 pm)

Shellie do you have security bars around your windows, and they got through them STILL???

Erin June 19, 2009 (1:04 pm)

As a reminder for those that travel out of town for more thana day or two at a time… the postal service has a free service (which you can fill out online!) that holds your mail. This way, you don’t have over-full mailboxes/mail slots that can signal to a would-be robber that you’re not home. Also with the service, you can tell the post office what day to deliver all your held mail so you can be sure to be home to get it. I use it all the time and the mail arrives all neatly bundled together. :-)

Shellie June 19, 2009 (1:23 pm)

The window had a dowel on it. The burglar was able to get the window around the dowel. This happened to my neighbor’s house not mine, I feel so bad for her and wanted to warn others.

D.j. June 19, 2009 (3:06 pm)

Thanks for the head’s up, Shellie. We’re not far from there, so this information is good to know, as are the tips. With so many reports of break-ins, we recently upgraded to a “big” dog with a wicked bark (to augment our smaller barker), so anyone attempting to burgle our home will have lots of advance notice of what awaits them inside.

Amy June 19, 2009 (3:25 pm)

Were the empty jewelry boxes something the burglar(s) left, or did they belong to the resident?

If left behind, is there maybe a description so that other burglaries can perhaps be connected to this one?

Shellie June 20, 2009 (12:14 pm)

The jewelry boxes belonged to the resident.

Westwood resident June 20, 2009 (3:18 pm)

We experienced a break in attempt thru our kitchen window last year. The window was secured w/a dowel, was fully shut and locked. We also have an alarm system installed. The burglar broke the window near the latch with a rock, but when they slid the window open, the alarm went off followed by a telephone call from the alarm company. The burglar took off but left us w/a broken window and glass all over the kitchen floor. I guess it could’ve been a lot worse. I have since established a block watch and have maintainted really good communication with old and new neighbors. We plan to have a block watch party during “night out” to continue the awareness. It’s been really helpful latetly.

Lorraine June 23, 2009 (2:41 pm)

Thanks Shellie – We are the house that was robbed and we are putting out a reward of $1,000.00 for the Dell laptop and two antique rings, one is a white gold diamond engagement and wedding ring set with two unique rectangular diamonds on the sides of the central daimond and the second is a gold, pearl ring which is almost 100 years old. We are searching jewlery stores, pawn shops and antique shops but all help would be incredibly appreciated. Please keep your eyes peeled – If you have any information at all please email Cunningham.Lori@gmail.com. Again, anything and everything helps. Thank you.