West Seattle Crime Watch: Protecting yourself from robbers

Just received the newest newsletter from the Seattle Police crime-prevention coordinator for the Southwest and South precincts, Mark Solomon, who talks about how to protect yourself from street robbery, given the recent spike in that crime in many parts of the city including ours. Here’s the PDF – or, read it via Scribd without leaving this page:

Seattle Police Crime Prevention newsletter, September 2013

You might have noticed that most of the cases mentioned in the newsletter are from the South Precinct, not Southwest – the prevention advice is of course applicable everywhere – but the August case mentioned is this one involving three arrests after an Arbor Heights robbery; we reported back on Monday that the suspects pleaded not guilty and remain jailed in lieu of $250,000 bail each.

vanessa September 11, 2013 (3:58 pm)

Our neighbor’s house was broken into during the middle of the day just a short time ago. Police report filed. Now just this morning 2 older men in a gray van (no license plate recorded) pulled up to the same house, asking way too many questions, “GOING ON A TRIP?”, “HOW LONG HAVE YOU LIVED HERE?” as this neighbor was loading her car for a trip…it was obvious. They also startled a woman walking her dog, with rude and pushy questions.
It is just too bad, that the license plate wasn’t retrieved or that someone didn’t call 911 for this very suspicious activity. We tried calling the Non-emergency police number and the Southwest Precinct number but it’s mostly all recordings for where else to call and to different websites, and no offense to the Police system, but by the time we would have gotten thru to someone or the correct webpage..these guys would be long gone. So I guess the neighbor should have just gone inside and called 911. Is this correct?

justme September 11, 2013 (4:21 pm)

I didnt see any suggestions on how to protect ourselves from street robbery but I sure don’t take out my electronics in public. Unless I really have to. I worry about my purse being ripped from my shoulder for the most part. I would hate for my kid to have to deal with this kind of situation too. It’s not even safe on the bus any more. The Rapid Ride provides wifi but I tell my kid to keep his goods in his pants. ;)

WSB September 11, 2013 (4:24 pm)

Justme, “What you can do” on the second page is all about protection/prevention.

West Seattle Hipster September 11, 2013 (5:44 pm)

This is false. Mayor McGinn says the crime rate has dropped and I believe him.

Sorry, couldn’t resist.

I am hoping that Ed Murray will make public safety a priority, it has been neglected for the past 5 years. But hey, we got more bike lanes.

I loved the part of the police newsletters where the kids leaving the drug prevention class to go smoke weed had the urge to go rob someone.

justme September 11, 2013 (7:14 pm)

I neglected to see a second page, thank you!

911 is always the right number to call for any suspicious activity.

Julie September 12, 2013 (12:11 am)

Hmmm. Sounds like a real effective “alcohol and drug treatment class”.

JB September 12, 2013 (3:18 pm)

@vanessa

In my opinion, the correct thing to do in that case is to call 911. A vehicle without proper identification is technically a crime. Adding in the suspicious behavior of the occupants definitely warrants the call. The 911 dispatcher will route it to SPD dispatch who will decide the appropriate response.

If in doubt you can call the Seattle Police General number, (206)625-5011, and wait for the automated message to run its course. Do not select any options. At that point you will be put in the same queue as 911 calls, except all 911 calls are answered before yours.

Best of luck to you and your neighbors. Stay safe.

Sorry, comment time is over.