West Seattle Crime Watch: 3-part update

Going to get this all out in one long 3-part report: First, details on an incident last night that several people e-mailed us about today. Second, news from tonight’s West Seattle Community Safety Partnership meeting. Third, the police reports we reviewed at the Southwest Precinct yesterday afternoon but never got around to posting before all sorts of other news (missing girl found, etc.) started breaking. All ahead:

MONDAY NIGHT INCIDENT AT JEFFERSON SQUARE: First a plea – please consider putting our text address (2062936302 -at- vtext.com) in your cell phone so you can text WSB if news breaks out where you are; we aren’t always near the scanner and since we’re on the south end of WS, we don’t hear all the sirens, and we totally missed this one. OK, that said — Lt. Steve Paulsen provided this update at the start of the WSCSP meeting: A man experiencing medical trouble started going berserk and hitting cars in the Jefferson Square parking lot around 6 pm last night. A citizen tried to stop him; he resisted and went into Bartell Drugs, where he continued being out of control, partly because of the medical trouble (which apparently involved seizures and insulin shock, and he’s been known to get violent when this happens). A “long struggle with officers” ensued inside the store; there was a huge backup response because at one point there was some “misinformation” regarding whether all the officers were safe and unhurt (they were). Eventually the man was taken into custody and taken to the hospital, and Lt. Paulsen says he will be OK.

WEST SEATTLE COMMUNITY SAFETY PARTNERSHIP MEETING HIGHLIGHTS

-The Seattle Neighborhood Group has appointed a new staff liaison to WSCSP. Jennifer Duong succeeds Lois Grammon-Simpson, who has been promoted to community education manager.

-Lt. Paulsen and Sgt. Jeff Durden updated the group on the recent burglaries and arrests. You’ve read all about it here, so we won’t reiterate what we’ve already published, except to say they are adamant that “99% of the time, we catch these guys because of alert witnesses, so when you see something or someone suspicious, DO CALL 911.” And even if officers don’t respond immediately, they add, having the information about your sighting/report may be important evidence later. By the way, relating to a discussion here in comments, they confirm most burglaries do happen during the daytime.

-WSCSP president Dot Beard says SDOT has promised to work to improve safety at the Barton/26th crossing (where Teri Soike was killed in a crash last month).

-Leaders from SPD’s Parking Enforcement division were special guests, to answer questions and discuss what’s being done about some of West Seattle’s sore spots regarding parking abuses — especially Barton along Roxhill Park, across from Westwood Village. They have been out tagging potential violators and confirm the “for sale” cars parked in that spot appear to be the work of one operation “using it as a used-car lot”; shortly after police showed up, they say, so did a car full of people who all promptly got into the parked cars and moved them. The law (read it here) works like this: Cars can’t stay longer than 72 hours. If they’re cited after that, police call for a tow, which must happen within the ensuing 48 hours. Report a problem at 206/684-ROAD; report an abandoned vehicle at 206/684-8763. City streets are NOT for storing vehicles, the parking enforcers point out.

-After hearing Jennifer pass along an Alki summer parking concern from a citizen who couldn’t attend the meeting, the parking enforcers mentioned a new program with some of their staffers patroling on Segways, and said they’re hoping to have bicycle and/or Segway patrols on Alki.

-Next WSCSP meeting, 7 pm April 15th @ SW Precinct.

NOTABLE POLICE REPORTS WE REVIEWED MONDAY:

Note, anything that’s already appeared on WSB as a reader report will NOT be recapped here unless there’s new info. Note these burglaries were all in the “south” West Seattle pattern; they all happened before the Monday arrests we reported in that same area, and police will be watching to see if “things slow down.”

WEDNESDAY 3/12 BURGLARY: 7100 block Woodside, between 4:30 and 8:30 pm, the front door was kicked in, and the burglar(s) stole two TVs, 1 laptop, and jewelry.

THURSDAY MORNING BURGLARY:
3700 block of Trenton, 9-10:30 am last Thursday, someone threw a rock through door glass and reached through to unlock the deadbolt, then got away with money from a purse.

ANOTHER THURSDAY BURGLARY: 3600 block of Henderson, 7:45 am-6:30 pm, the burglar(s)_ cut through the bedroom window screen and also shattered a glass pane in a basement door; they took computers and cash.

FRIDAY BURGLARY: 3700 block of SW 97th, the burglar(s) kicked in the basement bedroom window and got away with three TVs and cash.

SUNDAY BURGLARY ATTEMPT #1: Between 8 am and 2 pm on Sunday in the 8400 block of 41st SW, someone tried really hard to get into a house, trying to pry two doors open, and removing a basement-window screen. No signs they got in; the officer wrote in the report, “this seems to be the same MO used by burglary suspects in this 5-block area all week.”

SUNDAY BURGLARY ATTEMPT #2: Between 11:35 am and 5:15 pm Sunday in the 5000 block of California, someone pushed an outdoor table up against an apartment-bedroom window that had been left open. There were no signs they actually got inside.

CAR BREAK-IN: Someone pried open the passenger-side door lock of a car parked in a lot in the 4500 block of 42nd SW last weekend, stealing a laptop, cell phone, and sunglasses.

WINDOW SHOOTING: In the 8100 block of 15th SW last Thursday afternoon, a resident reported BBs having been shot through 2 residence windows and 1 vehicle window. Nobody was hit or hurt.

GANG-RELATED GUNSHOTS: Gang-related insults led to gunshots – none hitting anyone – in the 7700 block of 15th SW around quarter past 3 am on Sunday.

ALLEGEDLY DRUNKEN DRIVER HITS PARKED CAR: Around 1:30 am Sunday, police caught a drunk-driving suspect after he crashed his car into a parked vehicle in the 3200 block of California and then tried to get away. He was uncooperative when police first caught up with him; his story changed from no drinks, to two drinks, to one drink, and he refused a breath test along the way.

UNAUTHORIZED PARTY: Police were called to a house in the 7300 block of 27th on Friday afternoon, after the owner reported someone had broken in and put on quite the wild party, with beer cans and sunflower seeds strewn everywhere, along with some even-less-pleasant side effects of general drunken debauchery. Officers noted that there was no sign of forced entry, and the owner had apparently left a window or door open.

UNDERAGE DRINKERS: Police say they’re familiar with two of the three teenage girls they caught drinking vodka in The Junction at 5:30 pm last Friday — the youngest two, both 14; they were with an 18-year-old. Where’d they get the vodka? “Some guy” bought it for them, they said.

GAS THEFTS: So-called “drive-away” thefts always seem to ramp up when prices jump. The latest reports included two — 6:44 pm last Wednesday at the Avalon 7/11, $48 worth of gas pumped and not paid for; 6:30 pm Friday in the 3800 block of California, $23.95 worth of gas pumped and not paid for.

5 Replies to "West Seattle Crime Watch: 3-part update"

  • k March 19, 2008 (7:00 am)

    it is sad to see all these reports. so grateful that you are doing this so we can try to see burglary patterns and know the neighborhoods being hit. i say we all need to be much more aware during the days. those who are home during the day are the only defense we have for the daytime break ins. please call 911 if you see anything suspicious! let’s put a stop to this! extra locks on windows, deadbolts on doors, arm you alarm system if you have one and keep your eyes and ears open. the economy shows no signs of improving rapidly and crime will only increase. let’s do all we can with prevention!

  • beachdrivegirl March 19, 2008 (8:39 am)

    It is even more scary to me that the police were arleady familiar with 2 fourteen year old girls caught drinking! Where the heck are their parents? Stories like these make me think that their needs to be more accoutability for youths in the parents.

  • flowerpetal March 19, 2008 (11:38 am)

    I have been making abandoned vehicle reports on one particular vehicle in the Westwood neighborhood for more than a year. The truck owner comes by; finds the sticker plastered to the window and moves the truck half a block! What’s even more suspicious is that the truck is checked on my a guy driving a green tow truck. My thinking is this. If this is the tow company that tows illegaly parked vehicles… his will never get towed! I’ve pointed this out on the abandoned vehicle hotline to no avail.

  • Fritz March 19, 2008 (1:17 pm)

    Is a car really abandoned if the owner regularly checks on it and moves it occasionally?

  • flowerpetal March 19, 2008 (2:03 pm)

    You are correct Fritz that the title “abandoned cars” is not accurate… but that’s how the City refers to incidents of a car being left at the same parking space on the street for more than 3 days. Its not my language. This truck has been sitting in the same spot long enough now to be shedding strips of rubber from its front tire like it was dead skin.

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