We start tonight’s West Seattle Crime Watch with statistics you might have missed, since we compiled them during a discussion in the comment section of a story earlier this week. Every month, Seattle Police publish crime statistics, precinct by precinct, sector by sector, for the previous month; the August statistics are online now, and here’s what we found for the Southwest Precinct (West Seattle and South Park), compared to August of last year – robberies and burglaries sharply up, assaults and thefts down:
0 homicides, 0 rapes, SAME as August 2012
13 robberies, UP from 7 in August 2012
61 assaults, DOWN from 70 in August 2012
97 burglaries, UP from 65 in August 2012
124 larcenies (thefts), DOWN from 215 in August 2012
33 auto thefts, DOWN from 43 in August 2012
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To compare the entire year-to-date 2013 with a year earlier will take a longer round of number-crunching, but we will do that for an upcoming WS Crime Watch. Now to the newest reader reports, starting with Robyn‘s burglary:
I always appreciate the alerts from neighbors about recent crime incidents in WS so I thought I should share our story so others can be in the know. Our home was burglarized yesterday afternoon (we’re on 38th between Raymond and Juneau). It happened between 1:30 pm and 3:15 pm when I ran out to do a few errands real quick (I was working from home). They came in/out through the front (we come and go through the back alley). We’re pretty sure I interrupted them when I got home as a few things were dropped on the way out, but they were mainly after small electronics (laptops, iPads, etc.) and jewelry. The only slight lead we have is some possible fingerprints on items they moved as well as a suspicious car in front of our house that morning. Our neighbor across the street said a strange blue SUV with a Baby on Board sticker was writing info down and looking up at our house yesterday morning when she was leaving to take her son to school. When she made eye contact they sped away. The police have all that info and more.
Ahead – another burglary, a burglary attempt, and a warning for dog owners (added 9:36 pm, yet another burglary report that just came in via the WSB Forum):
A Beach Drive resident reports a break-in:
Garage burglary at 60XX Beach Drive SW, 3 bicycles and demolition hammer were stolen, tool used to dismantle gate, thief left behind white rose. Theft occurred between the hours of midnight and 5:00 AM on September 24, 2013.
MC shared this incident from Monday – noting it was the third time burglars have targeted them:
You can add a kicked-in basement door in an attempted burglary to Monday’s crime post. I am near 45th and Andover. It happened mid-morning Monday while at work. The door was locked and deadbolted, but a serious kick broke through the jamb.
The house alarm went off and seemed to have scared off the burglar as nothing was taken.
In calling around today to find a replacement door/door installer, one contractor said that he was in WS on Friday for the exact same thing — basement door kicked in from a burglary.
In living here 8 years, this is the third burglary/attempt we have had (the other two successful) and each has happened in the fall. First Nov, then Oct, now Sept.
**ADDED 9:36 PM: Word of a North Admiral burglary today, and a hard drive taken with irreplaceable family photos – they’re hoping to get it back – details in the WSB Forums.**
(back to original roundup) And while this might not be crime-related, Tammy wanted to share the alert:
I was at Westcrest off leash dog park on Monday afternoon and there was a very suspicious woman there. She claimed to be there waiting for her mom and her dog, but was taking an unusual interest all the other dogs. She was asking about their breeds, lingering too close, and pretending to be “with” someone, who clearly did not know her. When I noticed the leash in her back pocket I suspected she was there to steal dogs. So please, be careful and watchful of your canine friends when they are off leash!
One more reminder that West Seattle’s next safety/crime-prevention meeting is TOMORROW (Thursday) night, presented by the Fauntleroy Community Association at The Hall at Fauntleroy (9131 California SW), 7 pm, after a 6:30 pm ice-cream social.
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