Three reader reports tonight in West Seattle Crime Watch, plus crime-prevention advice:

APARTMENT STORAGE UNIT BREAK-IN: From Erik:

On Sunday, July 1st at approximately 10:00 am, 2 very large black cases were taken from a secured storage unit at Youngstown Flats in West Seattle (4040 26th SW). The person/persons who took the bags would have had to enter the secured building, get through the locked storage room door and cut through the top portion of the storage unit. The 2 bags taken contained optical frames. They also took branded MCM and Calvin Klein gifts. If anyone saw anything, please reach out to SPD or myself at erikgorder@yahoo.com.

CAR PROWL: From Adam – “Car prowled last night, 50th Ave SW.” (4500 block)

PAINT VANDALISM: Another in the series of recent paint-on-car vandalism incidents, this time from Stephen:

My car was also vandalized on Friday night, right outside of The Westy [35th south of Kenyon]. Definitely the same color of paint.

We cropped the photo as we usually do, but this one, unlike the others we’ve seen, was a recognizable symbol – the circled A (for anarchy).

CRIME PREVENTION ADVICE: The latest bulletin from Southwest Precinct Crime Prevention Coordinator Jennifer Danner focuses on preventing a particularly prevalent type of burglary:

As you may have heard before, in the SW Precinct we have recently seen an increase in burglaries of outbuildings – including sheds and garages. In order to hopefully decrease these incidents – we wanted to make sure that we are providing our community with the best prevention techniques possible. Provided below is some information about what a burglary is, as well as ways we can help prevent these types of incidents.

Please keep in mind that I do offer free safety/security assessments- and if you are interested in this- you can contact me directly.

What is burglary? How is it different from theft?

-Burglary is defined by the Seattle Police Department as: when someone enters physical property (including a garage or shed), not his or her own, without permission, with the intent to commit a crime

-Theft is defined as: whenever property is taken

For law enforcement, there is a difference between burglary and theft and when you report a crime to 9-1-1 the language you use makes a difference! The Seattle Police Department distinguishes between two types of burglary- residential and non-residential. Residential burglary refers to the theft occurring in a dwelling, other than a vehicle (such as a private home or apartment) and non-residential burglary refers to the theft occurring in a commercial or non-residential building (such as a grocery store or clothing store).

How can we prevent burglary? Specifically, to out-buildings (such as sheds and garages)?

-All exterior doors should be strong enough to withstand force and should be secured with a deadbolt lock that has a minimum one-inch throw

-Try not to leave valuables (such as packages, electronics or cash) in plain sight through windows or doors

-The main entrance door to a home/apartment should have a door wide-angle (180 degree) viewer/peephole

-Make the home/business appear as if there is someone there by leaving lights, music and/or televisions on

-Install lights to be specifically directed and focused on entry points and vulnerable areas

-Secure and lock all windows and doors when leaving the premises- even if you plan to return within a short amount of time!

-Do not leave a spare key out

-Secure and maintain yard, patios and outdoor spaces- making sure you trim back all concealing shrubbery

-Check to ensure all garages and sheds are consistently locked with a sturdy lock

-Take inventory lists and photos of belongings in sheds and garages to ensure you know if something is missing

-Check sheds and garages regularly in order to report a burglary as quickly as possible

Another very important prevention technique for residential property crime is getting to know your neighbors and starting a Block Watch. Block Watch is one of the most effective crime prevention tools. Block Watch brings residents and law enforcement together to improve safety and prevent crime. Safety improves when neighbors watch out for each other by reporting suspicious activity and in progress crimes to 9-1-1. Crime prevention occurs when the opportunity for crime is removed and neighbors work together towards a safer neighborhood. If you are interested in setting up a Block Watch for your area, have questions and/or would like to learn more about this program- please feel free to contact me.

Jennifer’s contact info, plus other resource links, are in the PDF version of her newsletter.