West Seattle, Washington
25 Thursday
From the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council‘s meeting at the Southwest Precinct on Tuesday night:
No new commander announced for the precinct yet, one week after the news of now-Assistant Chief Steve Wilske‘s promotion, which came one year after his SWP arrival. Operations Lt. Ron Smith, who’s in charge of the precinct in the meantime, said he isn’t seeking the position.
CRIME TRENDS: Lt. Smith led the customary briefing. Auto theft is up; burglaries are down. And as has been widely reported, including here, strong-arm robberies are up – if you don’t know the definition, “no weapons implied or used, but that doesn’t make much difference to the victim,” as Lt. Smith put it. He also discussed how incidents get classified as robberies if they aren’t the stereotypical case of a criminal coming up to a victim and demanding something; in particular, the shoplift-turned-robbery type of case was discussed.
Community Police Team Officers Jon Flores and Erin Nicholson got up at that point to get into more detail.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
The Southwest Precinct‘s commander says extra staffing to protect students – “double the staff on first watch” – will continue “for the foreseeable future.”
That was part of what Capt. Steve Wilske had to say at tonight’s West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting. Other measures taken to try to stop the string of robbery/grabbing incidents include instant alerts that he is getting in the case of any crime in which the victim is a juvenile. Updates in the meeting included not only the recent incidents but also last weekend’s South Park homicide plus overall local crime trends:
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
No new information about Saturday’s Morgan Junction holdup, when it was brought up during tonight’s West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting.
What did dominate the evening was a wide-ranging discussion on various neighborhoods’ problems and what can, can’t, and – in some neighbors’ view – should be done about them.
First, the crime-trend update:
LOCAL CRIME TRENDS: Auto theft has remained the same – a high level, but “we’re starting to make some arrests.” Car prowls are “down drastically.” So said precinct operations Lt. Ron Smith, representing precinct leadership at the meeting – he said car prowls are down to 11 in the past week, compared to 18. A new way of handling the data is being implemented soon, he said, so that could make a change. Nonresidential burglaries are down; residential burglary is down 40 percent from an average week, 6 compared to the average of 10. “We’ve made a couple arrests, and that might have made a difference – names known to the community.” Strong-arm robberies, usually 1 a week, this past week we’ve had two (both reported here).
Asked about the strong-arm robbery, Lt. Smith mentioned – without specifying the location – the Sealth student who was walking to school when her phone was stolen. They don’t know yet for sure whether the robber is a student or not, though “similar age group” to the victim. Sometimes the response time is hampered by the fact the robbery isn’t reported until they tell their parents hours later. He says this type of robbery has now been dubbed “Apple-picking.”
Asked about shoplifting, aggravated assault, drug-dealing arrests, Lt. Smith said he doesn’t have numbers on those categories but can get them. He says the Anti-Crime Team is going after drug crime right now, though, and that drug dealing is being addressed “through other methods” – CPTED, such as lighting, removing phone booths, cutting back shrubbery, and talking to businesses to let them know it’s their responsibility to keep watch on what’s happening on their property.
NUISANCE HOUSES: A question is asked about a South Delridge block and a particular house on 17th SW. Lt. Smith says they’re aware of several trouble houses. Precinct liaison Matthew York from the City Attorney’s Office, seated next to Lt. Smith (photo at right), gives his card to the asker. Another man says there’s a similar problem in his neighborhood – stolen cars dumped, an unregistered sex offender who they say had a teenage girl in his house, someone else who was wanted on warrants and “had a sawed-off shotgun.” The house in question had “constant turnover,” troublemakers in the back yard – they would report the problems, police would show up, and be deterred by a locked gate and people going into hiding. “With (houses like this) you can look at the 911 calls – 197 on that block – (people have) called constantly.” Someone else says “it’s kind of like we’re at war” but it has quieted down a bit with the involvement of the Community Police Team.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Southwest Precinct commander Capt. Steve Wilske has a plan for tomorrow – the last day of Seattle Public Schools classes – and he told the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council about it last night during the WSCPC meeting at Lincoln Park.
That and other toplines ahead:
Three West Seattle Crime Watch reader reports. First one’s from Johnali:
Our Bob Revolution jogging stroller (black), was stolen from our secured building between 6:30 pm last night and 7:30am this morning. We live on Delridge and Trenton. Anything would be helpful as we are still hopeful we will find it.
Let police know if you do. Second, Lynn‘s hoping to find the hit-run driver who damaged her car and another one just south of The Junction:
The 2 cars that were hit were parked 1/2 block north of Rite Aid, near a telephone and across the street from a large apartment building construction site (west side of California Avenue, SW). My car is a 2013 gray 4 door Nissan Altima. I do not know the make of the other car that was hit, but its owner told me that her left-side mirror was bent backwards and was missing most of the mirror glass. I didn’t find any paint from the car that hit mine. However, I did find a side mirror on the ground near my car that may have been from the car that hit mine. It appears from the damage my car sustained that the offending car came from the north, which would mean that their car would be missing their right side mirror. I’ve kept the side mirror, just in case.
Third, Kezia wondered if anybody else woke up Sunday morning in the Westwood area to find out their car had been vandalized – a crude drawing in black paint on a white car, in her case.
REMINDER: Bring community concerns to the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council‘s meeting at Lincoln Park Shelter 1 tomorrow (Tuesday) night, 7 pm, map here.
Even before Tuesday night’s West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting, Southwest Precinct police leaders had promised that the Roxhill Park/Westwood Village area would be one of three emphasis spots for beefed-up summertime prevention/enforcement efforts. Westwood in particular dominated the discussion, though precinct commander Capt. Steve Wilske said his “summer plan” had not yet won final approval from department leadership.
SUMMER PLAN: With the recent warm weather, “Alki’s starting to get real busy for us,” Capt. Wilske began, saying he plans to have extra officers there on Friday and Saturday nights for starters, as well as increased patrols for Roxhill/Westwood and for Lincoln Park.
One of his strategies, also mentioned at earlier community meetings, is to get officers onto bicycles, at least part-time. He said he’s hoping to have bikes and gear for up to 12 officers. “They’ll be patrol officers, I can’t exempt them from 911 response, (but) they’ll have bikes so when they have down time they’ll be able to get into one of these emphasis areas and start riding.”
WESTWOOD VILLAGE: Community Police Team Officer Jon Kiehn said the recent trouble with shoplifting, threats, and more, tends to involve “the same people over and over again.”
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Not so many property-crime reports in West Seattle Crime Watch lately, and the report from Southwest Precinct Operations Lt. Ron Smith (photo left) at this week’s WS Crime Prevention Council offered one reason why: The criminals just haven’t been as busy.
Might be this month’s almost-record-setting rain, Lt. Smith acknowledged, but whatever the case, burglaries in the week preceding Tuesday’s meeting were down to 6 from the average 9 – “we’d like to get to zero,” he noted, mentioning that the SW Anti-Crime Team is “going after people related to a theft ring, on top of burglary, stolen property, narcotics … there will be some search warrants served.” (Whether that’s related to the 32nd/Juneau bust reported here Thursday night, we’re still trying to find out.)
Auto-theft cases in the preceding week were down as well, Lt. Smith reported – 5, compared to the average 8; non-residential burglaries average 2, and there had been one.
Community concerns voiced immediately after the crime-trends briefing included local parks – questions about the gate at Hamilton Viewpoint Park in North Admiral not being locked at night, and about unlocked bathrooms at Roxhill Park late at night. Lt. Smith and Community Police Team Officer Jon Flores promised to check into both.
The meeting’s featured guests were from the Seattle Police recruiting team – talking about how SPD finds, screens, trains, and hires candidates.
Two community meetings tonight that we want to mention before it’s too late:
FAUNTLEROY ‘FOOD FEST’: Bites from local eateries are an incentive offered by the Fauntleroy Community Association to get nearby residents to its annual membership meeting, part information fair, part mingling opportunity, part election, as previewed here, all starting at 6 pm at The Hall at Fauntleroy. (9131 California SW)
WEST SEATTLE CRIME PREVENTION COUNCIL: WSCPC is scheduled to hear about crime trends from new precinct commander Capt. Steve Wilske, and you’re invited to ask about neighborhood concerns. Also, special guests from SPD will talk about recruitment and background checks, as previewed here. 7 pm, Southwest Precinct. (Delridge/Webster)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Repeat offender Ryan Cox is back in jail this afternoon, hours after his case came up at last night’s West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting – on a night when the Seattle Mental Health Court was a long-planned topic of discussion.
During the discussion of Cox’s case, we discovered a warrant had been out for his arrest for two weeks, a warrant for violation of probation – same reason he had been taken in (and released after a day) last month. This time, the notation on the publicly viewable Municipal Court docket described him as “not a good candidate for probation” and labeled the warrant as “do not release.” (Photo at right is from 2009, distributed by police the first time Cox was being sought for vandalism.)
The docket also mentioned presiding Municipal Court Judge Kimi Kondo, who happened to be last night’s guest speaker.
Here’s how last night unfolded, including the discussion of the Mental Health Court in general, as well as Cox’s case.
ORIGINAL REPORT, 9:50 PM: In our interview with newly appointed Southwest Precinct commander Capt. Steve Wilske – published here Monday – he said he planned to attend as many community meetings as possible in the weeks and months ahead to learn about our area. The West Seattle Crime Prevention Council has just announced that he will be at their meeting next Tuesday (February 18th). Their previously scheduled guest, Seattle Municipal Court Presiding Judge C. Kimi Kondo, remains on the agenda too, talking about the city’s Mental Health Court. All are welcome at Tuesday’s WSCPC meeting, 7 pm at the precinct (Delridge/Webster).
ADDED THURSDAY MORNING: Just received an agenda that says Capt. Wilske also will be at the February 19th Delridge Neighborhoods District Council meeting (7 pm, Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, 4408 Delridge Way SW).
ADDED FRIDAY: See comments below – he’ll be at this month’s West Seattle Block Watch Captains’ Network meeting too.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
This month’s West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting began with the formal introduction of the Southwest Precinct‘s new leadership, and quickly moved on to a series of hot topics – including one citizen concern that already has led to action.
And until the citizen concerns were all spoken, the new precinct commander remained at the meeting with a larger accompanying contingent than is usually seen at the meetings – members of the Anti-Crime Team (ACT).
(Photo by WSB’s Patrick Sand)
“I’m Captain Davis, current Southwest Precinct commander.” Pierre Davis (at right in photo above) introduced himself for the first time since the two promotions reported here last week – his elevation from lieutenant, and previous commander Joe Kessler‘s promotion to assistant chief. He also introduced Lt. Ron Smith as the new operations lieutenant (second-in-command), and explained the black-uniformed ACT members filling the northwest corner of the room: “These are our bird-dogs, these are the individuals who go out and make things happen, they are our strike team, if you will.”
No current crime spikes, he said, and one particular category is half its usual rate – while burglaries run “10-12 a week” this time of year, “right now they’re at five or six.” He attributed that to the arrest of multiple suspects, which he described as “a crew that was just devastating our area.”
Then he asked for neighborhood concerns. First question was about last month’s High Point murder – we’ve already reported the reply, and questions about other unsolved murders, here.
Next, the community concern that seems to already have led to action: Ryan Cox is back in jail, for the third time in two months.
Tonight’s West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting featured crime-trend updates from Southwest Precinct Operations Lt. Pierre Davis and transportation-safety info from SDOT’s Jim Curtin (who started speaking about 26 minutes into our video). We’ll add toplines later but just in case you’re interested, we recorded the entire hour and a half meeting on video and it’s just finished uploading, so we present it here for your potential late-night/early-morning viewing. More later!
ADDED 9:40 AM WEDNESDAY: Toplines from WSB’s Katie Meyer:
*From SDOT community traffic liaison Jim Curtin’s presentation – the top spots in West Seattle for collisions, October 2010-October 2013:
1) Olson Place SW and 1st (aka, east end of Roxbury)
2) 35th/Avalon (that includes collisions near the bridge entrance)
3) 8th SW and SW Roxbury
Major causes of collisions:
33% caused by speeding
48& of fatal crashes involve impaired drivers (alcohol or drugs – no increase in marijuana so far)
22% of fatal crashes involve distraction
Most common type of collision in West Seattle:
“Hit parked cars” (1,150 hit parked car hit “incidents “in the three-year time period Curtin covered – some are multiple-vehicle incidents, so higher total of hit parked car numbers).
CRIME TRENDS: Lt. Davis stressed both the importance of reporting crime AND suspicious sightings – “partnership with the community” – and of prevention. People are still, he lamented, leaving keys in cars, leaving home doors unlocked, etc. Also, he warned, mail and package theft ramp up this time of year (for obvious reasons), and he reiterated something noted last month, that West Seattle will have holiday-season emphasis patrols, with officers out on foot beats. Traffic emphasis patrols will be “highly visible” in the months ahead, too.
NEXT MEETING: WSCPC is taking December off; at 7 pm January 21st, Ann Graves from Seattle Animal Shelter will be on hand to discuss various animal-control issues.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Seattle Police plan a crackdown on holiday crime, with the help of an extra overtime allotment.
So reported Southwest Precinct Operations Lt. Pierre Davis during his briefing at the start of this month’s West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting.
In addition to Q/A with Lt. Davis, the meeting included an SPD narcotics detective and King County Drug Diversion Court manager explaining how that program works to try to stop the cycle of crime by addicts who are in and out of court and jail as they just keep stealing to pay for their habit.
Two crime-prevention meetings ahead that you might want to check out:
DENNY, SEALTH PRINCIPALS @ CRIME PREVENTION COUNCIL: The special guests have been announced for Tuesday’s West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting:
We will have Chief Sealth International High School principal Aida Fraser-Hammer and Denny International Middle School principal Jeff Clark; they will discuss safety and security in their schools and the surrounding area. We will also discuss if having a combined campus has presented any unique safety problems.
Fears of such problems were amply voiced six years ago, before the new Denny was built adjacent to a renovated Sealth; the new school year is the third one of full co-location. The WSCPC meeting is at 7 pm Tuesday (September 17th), Southwest Precinct (Delridge/Webster).
FAUNTLEROY COMMUNITY SAFETY: The Fauntleroy Community Association found out via its recent community survey that crime prevention/safety is a topic of intense interest in their area, so FCA is hosting a special forum on Thursday, September 26th. It’s at The Hall at Fauntleroy in the historic schoolhouse, and will start with an ice-cream social at 6:30, meeting at 7, including presentations by Southwest Precinct police, and community Q/A.
Two West Seattle Crime Watch topics this morning – an update on a criminal case we’ve been following, and the brief notes from this month’s West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting.
ARBOR HEIGHTS ARREST CASE: Bail is now down to $2,500 for Alan Polevia, the repeat offender arrested after being found in the crawl space of an Arbor Heights home last week (WSB coverage here). As the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office had said would happen, Polevia went to court Wednesday to answer the charges on which he failed to appear back in March, burglary and theft charges related to a West Seattle case from last year. He pleaded not guilty, and the judge said he could be released on personal recognizance. Conditions of release include that he continue living at an apartment in the 11900 block of 16th South (map) for the duration of the case. We don’t have access to documents on the two other cases on which he was held, but the bottom line is that the jail register shows $2,500 bail still in effect related to one of them.
The Polevia case was brought up briefly by an attendee at Tuesday night’s WSCPC meeting. This time around, the meeting had no central topic, as there were no guests. Southwest Precinct Operations Lt. Pierre Davis described Polevia as a “frequent flyer” whom they’ll be keeping an eye on if he gets out. Read on for other toplines:
Two quick notes in West Seattle Crime Watch this morning:
STOLEN CAR: Taylor asks you to keep an eye out for his girlfriend’s car, stolen last night on 10th SW in Highland Park. It’s a black 2000 Honda CR-V, with plates ending in WLO. Call 911 if you see it.
WEST SEATTLE CRIME PREVENTION COUNCIL: Since the WSCPC doesn’t meet in July and August, this is your last chance to get a guaranteed SPD audience for a neighborhood concern. In fact, that’s what tomorrow’s meeting will be devoted to, along with updates and followups (including a discussion of the recent Lincoln Park safety walk). 7 pm Tuesday (June 18th), Southwest Precinct – parking lot entrance is off Webster, west of Delridge Way.
The West Seattle Crime Prevention Council has just concluded a busy week with two events – its regular meeting May 21st, and a Lincoln Park safety walk last night. Walk participants and organizers are in our photo abaove along with, at right, SPD Community Police Team Officer Jon Flores, and, third from left, Seattle Parks’ Carol Baker. Both said that by far, the most-serious crime problem at the park is car break-ins; too many people drive to the park and leave valuables in their vehicles in plain sight. Otherwise, the only other trouble of note involved occasional vandalism, per Baker, and late-night partying during summer months, per Officer Flores.
Ahead, toplines from last week’s regular WSCPC meeting:
(11/30/12 photo by WSB’s Patrick Sand)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
One rainy night last November, we reported on a shooting at a South Delridge bus stop.
While it was over fast, and the victim survived his leg wounds, it apparently has reverberated ever since, according to what Seattle Police Gang Unit representatives told the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council last night.
Not only did an SPD Gang Unit detective attend, so did the lieutenant who is in charge of the Robbery and Fugitives Units as well as the Gang Unit, and a wide-ranging conversation ensued.
There was a relatively sizable crowd on hand, too, at least 30 people ringing the Southwest Precinct meeting room, and many brought questions including an increasingly common one – what to do when you think you hear gunshots?
Incidents including drive-by gunfire and tagging have led to questions about how active gangs are in West Seattle right now. To get some answers, the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council will hear from Seattle Police Gang Unit Detective Clayton Agate at its next meeting, one week from tonight. All are welcome – 7 pm Tuesday, April 16th, Southwest Precinct meeting room (Delridge/Webster).
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
He’s one of a kind.
Det. Christopher Young, the Seattle Police Department‘s lone graffiti detective, made a guest appearance at last night’s West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting, debunking graffiti myths and sharing case histories with more than two dozen people, who identified themselves as being from all over the peninsula, plus White Center. (The detective, for his part, said he’s a former West Seattleite.)
He began with the “top 4 graffiti myths.”
Graffiti vandalism – whether gang-related (most isn’t) or not – is a perennial problem. What’s being done about it? What should you do if you see it? One more reminder is just in from the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council – that’s their spotlight topic this Tuesday night:
Most people don’t know that the Seattle Police Department has a detective solely devoted to graffiti crimes. Detective Christopher Young will discuss all aspects of graffiti crimes including the reporting of graffiti, how to identify gang graffiti, the prosecution of graffiti crimes, ways to deter graffiti, and how graffiti is often correlated with more serious crimes.
Everyone’s welcome – 7 pm Tuesday (March 19th), Southwest Precinct meeting room (right off the parking lot, enter from SW Webster just west of Delridge). As always, police will discuss recent crime trends, and there’s time for attendees to bring up their neighborhood concerns too.
(From left, Lt. Pierre Davis; WSCPC president Richard Miller)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
While the Seattle Police Department‘s in-the-works surveillance cameras have drawn lots of attention lately (WSB coverage archive here), another technological tool that’s about to be deployed came to light at this week’s West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting: New data-crunching technology to be used for “predictive policing” – anticipating crime before it happens, to make sure resources are deployed in the right places.
Southwest Precinct Operations Lt. Pierre Davis mentioned the new system almost in passing while answering questions about various neighborhood trouble spots. He described it as something that will enable officers on the street to get “cheat sheets” as crime trends are crunched on a daily basis; other departments around the country use it and in some areas have experienced a significant reduction in crime.
Lt. Davis told WSB after the meeting that the system is expected to be in use around March 24. It’s known as PredPol for short – that’s the name he used, and that’s even the company’s handle on Twitter – but the company that sells the technology is named Predictive Policing. It originated with the Los Angeles Police Department, according to its website, which describes how it works.
The city website includes a brief mention in a news release about last week’s update on the SPD 20/20 project, with which Lt. Davis has been closely involved.
Ahead, what else he mentioned to the council, as well as other toplines from the meeting:Read More
Just announced for the next West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting (Tuesday, February 19th, 7 pm, Southwest Precinct) – President Richard Miller says that Seattle Parks‘ resources manager Robert Stowers will be there to “address questions regarding safety and security at park facilities” – an especially timely topic given high-profile cases such as last month’s Roxhill Park robberies. Also scheduled: Sarah Sorensen, Volunteer Supervisor from the Seattle Police Victim Support Team, to talk about upcoming training and how to volunteer with the VST.
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