West Seattle Crime Watch: Neighborhood warning signs

After two notes and one call in the past two days about those signs (and more like them), we had to go check them out. On Fauntleroy Way along a block-plus stretch south of the ferry dock, more than a dozen hand-lettered, orange-flagged signs are placed in planting strips on both sides of the street. Not only do they warn prospective criminals they’re being watched, they have a warning for solicitors, too:

We only found one person to ask about the signs; actually, he found us, driving up while our photographer was starting to take pictures, and asking what we were doing. He wouldn’t comment except to suggest that we check the “police reports” for something that happened recently. One incident is listed, a daytime burglary in the 9200 block of Fauntleroy Way on January 21st, with burglars not only ransacking the house and stealing multiple items of value, but also taking the victims’ car. The police report says someone saw a “white Dodge SUV pull into the driveway one house to the south of the victim house” that morning, with a passenger getting out and going “through the bushes into the yard of the victim’s house. After a short time the passenger got back into the vehicle and the vehicle slowly drove around the block as if they were looking at every house.” (The report did not indicate whether police were called at the time of that sighting.)

17 Replies to "West Seattle Crime Watch: Neighborhood warning signs"

  • MSD January 27, 2012 (2:06 pm)

    I live in the area and think this is great! Way to take action. I hope this helps and gets the message out.

  • clark5080 January 27, 2012 (2:18 pm)

    I thought that is what block watch was for

  • HimAgain January 27, 2012 (3:05 pm)

    West Seattle: So, so adorable.

  • LE January 27, 2012 (3:10 pm)

    I don’t see how a sign like that can make a no-solicitation policy that applies to every house in the neighborhood.

  • Jim P. January 27, 2012 (3:43 pm)

    Sounds a little like one person trying to handle a decision for the neighborhood.

    Those signs aren’t exactly going to make crooks (or solicitors) quake in their boots and take up a new line of work.

    And while I never welcome solicitors of any sort, I would cordially dislike seeing hand-scrawled signs like that stuck in my lawn or my neighborhood. They look tacky, almost childish and make a decision for others the writer is not qualified to make.

    I might be more concerned about the person doing this than those it purports to warn. Such people sometimes become twitchy and see shadows even in the bright sunlight.

  • Wslove January 27, 2012 (4:23 pm)

    Thank you! And I will do my part! I live in the neirbhood and I think it’s great. We have to be pro-active.

  • GreatSoFar January 27, 2012 (4:36 pm)

    might I suggest you move to somewhere that doesn’t give a sh*t?

  • marty January 27, 2012 (5:15 pm)

    It’s sad that there are so many low-lifes that this is necessary. Good to see people getting together to do what they have to do to protect their property. I would love to see all door-to-door soliciting outlawed. I wouldn’t miss it a bit and it would make casing of homes a little more difficult.

  • WS expat January 27, 2012 (5:38 pm)

    The signs are a tad amateurish, but the homeowner is within his rights to post them on his property. (The “any homes” part might be overreaching though.)
    Reference the Seattle Municipal Code:

    SMC 6.260.050 Unlawful acts.

    “It is unlawful for any residential seller or agent to:

    A. Make untrue, deceptive, or misleading statements about the product or services sold for the purposes of procuring a sale or offer for sale;

    B. Make any untrue, deceptive, or misleading statement regarding the purposes of his/her contact with a potential customer;

    C. Sell before eight (8:00) a.m. or after nine (9:00) p.m. of any day without the specific prior consent of the prospective buyer;

    D. Attempt to gain admittance for the purpose of selling at any residence at which a sign bearing the words “no peddlers,” “no solicitors,” or words of similar import is posted, unless at the invitation or with the consent of the occupant thereof.”

    It’s sad people feel besieged in their neighborhood.

    • WSB January 27, 2012 (5:51 pm)

      Expat, sorry if it’s not clear, these signs are on multiple properties, mostly in the planting strips, lining both sides of a long block, and going a short way east/up the hill where it turns. – TR

  • Rich Harmon January 27, 2012 (5:44 pm)

    Good for Westside keep vigilant and lets catch some of these people and get them to jail!! Call the police anytime you see something you don’t like then the crooks are on notice that they are being watched!!!!

  • Noelle January 27, 2012 (6:54 pm)

    Its not right to put signs up infront of other people’s homes. This seems a little odd.

  • dsa January 27, 2012 (7:18 pm)

    Someone witnessed the crime. But it is not apparent if they bothered to call 911.

  • Aman January 27, 2012 (7:58 pm)

    Much more cost-effective than a private security service or alarm company.

  • Leslie January 27, 2012 (10:41 pm)

    I believe everyone who has a sign agreed to have it there. The 2nd photo is my mom’s house and she is thrilled to have it there and grateful to the neighbor who made the sign and put it up on her parking strip.

  • CSW January 28, 2012 (12:19 pm)

    Whats with all the negativity?? Who said signs were put up without the home owners permission? If you have incidents in your neighborhood you do what you need to do. I would think West Seattleites would be happy to know that neighbors are watching out for one another. I doubt the signs will stay up for the long term.

  • aa January 28, 2012 (7:33 pm)

    So sad to hear that more houses keep getting broken into. It happen to me last summer in bright daylight too! I wasn’t home but my pets were (2 cats & a dog). They’re still traumatized over the whole thing. These crooks actually broke the back door, its frame and a portion of the wall to break in. I came home at 3pm and found all 3 of my pets crawled into a little ball terrified under my bed, the house was a complete mess and all my stuff gone. Horrible feeling!

Sorry, comment time is over.