West Seattle Crime Watch: Package-theft alert

| Crime | West Seattle news

Just received from Rebecka, who wanted to get the word out fast:

My family just witnessed a man take off with a package from our neighbor’s porch.

My husband stepped out to confront him and he immediately took off. We are on the corner of 42nd and Brandon. The guy was heading south in the alley between 42nd and 41st. By the time he rounded the corner, the guy was out of sight. We called it in to the police, but they were not even interested in getting a description, said it was too late to do anything.

Apparently this has been going on quite a bit in our hood for the last week. The guy was in his mid to late thirties, dark hair and goatee, black leather jacket, jeans, dark shoes. He looked as if he hadn’t slept for days, SUPER SKETCHY.

Just thought people should be aware if they are expecting deliveries today. This took place at 8:40 this morning.

JanS December 24, 2010 (11:03 am)

Mean people suck! Sorry your neighbor lost their packages. Let’s hope that the perpetrator seriously needed whatever was in that package. I guess we all have to remember that Christmas is more than just packages.

Thank you for being a good neighbor…Happy Holidays!

lina rose December 24, 2010 (12:15 pm)

what a bummer :(
we have had this happen with our mail in the recent past (35th and 98th) and so we put a note on our door requesting that the mailman bring packages around to the back door. sure, a thief could read that and just go around to the back door but a piece of paper on the door is a lot less appealing than a package. thanks everyone who keeps their eyes open and wishes for a safe holiday

Meg December 24, 2010 (12:17 pm)

I know you can’t always catch these packages when they arrive. But, when I can, I move my neighbors packages from being visible at their front doors, to somewhere out of sight. Then, send them an email saying where it is. They really appreciate it.

66killer December 24, 2010 (12:51 pm)

Hmm, I live up the street on 42nd and I have had many things taken from my porch and not just packages either.

coffee December 24, 2010 (1:23 pm)

As a business owner who ships LOTS of product, a few suggestions, ask your boss if you can receive items at work. Have your order sent as a signature required, this means someone HAS to sign for the package. If you are not home but your neighbor is, have the package delivered there. And pay for the extra insurance if the purchaser gives it as an option! The past week is theft paradise, unfortunately….

Dano December 24, 2010 (2:27 pm)

How distressing that the police were no help WHATSOEVER…. They have enough time to search out and cite our neighbor for parking 6 inches over the sidewalk (in front of her own house… yes…. a city police officer…)but they cant present enough of a presence to deter something like this that has obviously been going on for a while…. So sorry they “were not even interested in getting a description…” as you say… Really makes me think. Merry Christmas to all… including the police, and those involved…

Dan December 24, 2010 (4:22 pm)

I just saw a guy that looked much like the man described riding a bike slowly on the sidewalk on 39th between 39th and Raymond. He was checking out all the houses. The last I saw him he was riding east on Raymond towards 35th. I called 911.

rob December 25, 2010 (11:32 am)

fwiw, signature required doesn’t always work. quite frequently, ups and fedex both leave packages on our doorstep without knocking or getting a signature for them. fortunately the street we live on now is not really conducive to this type of theft.
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when it does happen, there isn’t much the police can do unless you can tell them exactly where to find the guy.
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if you do get a lot of deliveries, i would recommend putting a locking box on your porch. just a footlocker or something with a padlock. you leave the lock open and put a note on it for deliveries to go in the box. the deliery person puts the package in the box and locks it, and it remains relatively safe until you come home. of couse the box needs to be secured to something so the whole thing cant be swiped. i used to work at a tractor repair shop that got a lot of after hours deliveries from couriers and this is how they handled it.

S December 25, 2010 (4:29 pm)

This happened to me a couple of years ago. Had ordered some things via internet, was given a tracking number. Got the notification that my package was delivered, but when I got home, there was no such package. Hope who ever helped them selves needed a cute little mouse pad.. The second time it happened, was a gift I had purchased for a friends new baby. Found the box opened and left in the alley behind my apartment.. gift smashed to bits. Guess they weren’t happy it wasn’t anything they could use. I started having anything bigger than would fit in my mail box, delivered to my work address (with permission from my boss of course) so I would be sure to get my items. I’m at the corner of 35th and Morgan.. Trouble really started happening at my place when the city moved the bus stop from infront of UHaul to right in front of the apartment bldg. The brats that hang out there.. hang out on our steps, smoking, drinking, spitting and leaving their trash on our steps and apparently helping themselves to our packages. Its sad that there are such RUDE people out there that can’t keep their hands off other peoples things.

Mike December 26, 2010 (11:50 pm)

If it was delivered by USPS it’s a federal offense, the police would be required to take action.

AM December 27, 2010 (9:25 am)

In the past few months, this has happened to at least three people i know who all live in different areas of west seattle. From now on, i’m shipping everything to my work. This is ridiculous….

AnnaMontana December 28, 2010 (2:04 pm)

A friend and I found two packages on a park bench at a tiny secluded park next to Ivars on Lake Union. One box was empty. The other contained a desk pad they apparently didn’t want. We discovered the packages were for two different people at a condo complex just around the corner from the park. We took the desk pad and the empty box over to the building and returned the pad to its owner. I just want to remind people who live in apartments and condos to look out for your neighbors. If UPS and FedEX leave packages outside of your gated building, it doesn’t matter who they are addressed to – be a good neighbor and bring them inside. I do it for my neighbors every day.

Shanti January 4, 2011 (11:54 am)

This also happened to me. Last week I was out of town and two packages where stolen (empty boxes left behind). We live in the Pigeon Point neighborhood.

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