West Seattle Crime Watch reader reports: Package thieves; car prowler(s); abandoned bicycle

Three West Seattle Crime Watch reader reports tonight:

PACKAGE THIEVES, AGAIN: From Jan:

We have found several empty delivery boxes on our parking strips in our North Admiral neighborhood. Clearly, someone is following the UPS trucks today. Please remind readers to have packages delivered to an address where someone will be available to receive: business, school, etc.

LINCOLN PARK CAR PROWL: David explains, “I thought I would send this incident your way to get the word out and maybe help warn others that the car-prowl problems at Lincoln Park (and other park areas) are indeed current and ongoing.” Here’s what David reported to police:

While at work as a dog walker, I left my vehicle at 9:55 am on the date of the incident in the Lincoln Park parking lot across from SW Rose St. I returned at 11:00 am. Later, while driving to a class I am taking I realized my backpack was not in the vehicle. I had left the vehicle locked and saw no signs of forced entry. The backpack was on the floor of the passenger seat. I did leave the vehicle unlocked for under 5 minutes on the street (in the 4100 block of) SW Othello St and (the 9600 block of) 46th Ave SW but the longest period I was away for it was at Lincoln Park.

ABANDONED BIKE: In cases like this, the bike likely was stolen. So if this looks familiar …

Morgan says it was spotted on the roadside near 16th/Dawson in the Puget Ridge area.

21 Replies to "West Seattle Crime Watch reader reports: Package thieves; car prowler(s); abandoned bicycle"

  • Roxbury resident November 25, 2014 (11:30 pm)

    That bike is MINE. We recently moved and somebody must have taken it from the back yard.

    • WSB November 25, 2014 (11:32 pm)

      Hi! I’ll e-mail the address that accompanies your comment.

  • Eric November 26, 2014 (5:08 am)

    I was watching something on TV the other day and they were showing home security footage of people taking packages from homes. What took me aback a little, was the fact that the majority of these people who took the packages looked fairly well put together and were driving newer nicer cars. Meaning I would have never picked them for criminals doing such a thing, as they just looked like the typical run of the mill neighbors.

    How sad these POS feel they are entitled to have stuff by taking it from other people. Our society seems to be just getting worse and a sense of entitlement is becoming more and more prevalent, even for people that probably could afford some of the stuff they are stealing.

  • Eric November 26, 2014 (5:09 am)

    P.S.

    What is the deal with Lincoln Park anyway? Someone must be working it regularly, as it seems to be one of the worst spots in West Seattle to leave your car unattended. There seriously needs to be a crackdown and sting done in this area.

  • gotcha November 26, 2014 (7:43 am)

    I’ve left a medium size box on my front door step.

    Inside you’ll find a gift from my dog, a few bags of poop along with a note that reads, “smile, we have surveillance cameras!”.

  • miws November 26, 2014 (7:46 am)

    Eric, break-ins in the Lincoln Park parking lots have been a longtime issue.

    .

    Back in around 1990, some (self-recorded) audio cassette tapes, and change out of the ashtray were stolen from my locked, ’67 VW Beetle, in the South Lot.

    .

    Fortunately, they were “thoughtful” thieves, as they pried open a wing window, and didn’t break a window, or do any other damage.

    .

    (For those that were born around 1990 or so) ;-)

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compact_Cassette

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quarter_glass (AKA Wing Window)

    .

    Mike

  • Just thinking November 26, 2014 (9:00 am)

    Sounds like we need some volunteers to follow UPS trucks and take pictures at a safe distance :-) (I know, I know, SPD would never endorse that)

  • BlairJ November 26, 2014 (11:20 am)

    … or maybe a drone following the UPS trucks …

  • dis November 26, 2014 (12:24 pm)

    I like gotcha’s approach.

  • G November 26, 2014 (12:34 pm)

    Following a UPS truck around to steal packages? What scum. Just can’t think of a more spineless, soulless criminal.

  • simon1021 November 26, 2014 (12:58 pm)

    I had a package stolen yesterday….can you tell me if any of the boxes are from Williams-Sonoma?

  • wsn00b November 26, 2014 (1:15 pm)

    My small/mini plastic trash can is missing from yesterday. Left it out for Monday garbage pickup at 7AM , came home to just find my recycling and compost carts. No trash can :( . Not sure if the garbage company took it for some reason.

  • bsmomma November 26, 2014 (2:02 pm)

    LOVE Gotcha’s idea! UPS should have cameras on there trucks!

  • Mike Gross November 26, 2014 (3:00 pm)

    I saw that bike yesterday while walking around 5:30 pm- someone buried in under a blanket of leaves – so I brushed it off and placed it where the picture shows it hoping it would be claimed.

  • alki jack November 26, 2014 (3:17 pm)

    Go to UPS.com and sign up for My UPS. You will get e-mail alerts the day before a package is scheduled to arrive and you can redirect it if you like. Works for me!

  • Militant Moderate November 26, 2014 (3:23 pm)

    Hey Jan, if you see this, do you know if there were there any USPS packages or large envelopes found? I apparently had a package stolen Saturday.

  • JayDee November 26, 2014 (4:29 pm)

    Wsn00b:

    Did you look inside the recycling cart? Mine is big enough to hold the garbage can.

  • Officer DeBella November 26, 2014 (5:47 pm)

    Anyone who had a package stolen should email me with your name, address, and contact phone number.

    I will contact you after Thanksgiving (I am lucky enough to get the holiday off this year) & get the report taken care of with as little disruption as possible to your schedule.

    If you don’t wish to wait until then you may call 911 and have an officer come out as they become available.

    Officer DeBella 6844
    SPD SW Precinct
    2300 SW Webster St
    Seattle WA 98106

  • ChefJoe November 26, 2014 (7:12 pm)

    wsn00b, a small trash can? You might be checking the neighborhood… it was pretty windy on Tuesday and those suckers can move when empty.

  • MMB November 27, 2014 (7:54 am)

    Love gotcha’s tactics! I am fortunate in that we can accept packages at my workplace. From what I’ve seen here the past few years it is shockingly common for packages to be stolen. Many Amazon deliveries can go to “Amazon Lockers;” though most of those are downtown, it’s an option if you commute there. I remember reading long ago – probably here on WSB – that people stake out parking areas, including Lincoln Park, so they hit your car after watching you leave, especially if they see you stashing stuff. We’ve also joined the ranks of homes with locking mailboxes; sadly you have to take these types of steps these days. Thanks to WSB for getting the word out on things like this. (And gotcha!)

  • face less November 29, 2014 (9:12 pm)

    Just want to tell the person “gotcha” that your plan of putting the poop in a box with a note “smile your on camera” is very funny. Thanks for the heads up- I will try it this week and let you know how it goes.

Sorry, comment time is over.