Crime Watch: Drug bust, break-in attempt, stolen signs…

Three items for West Seattle Crime Watch this afternoon. First, two notes came in asking about a King County Sheriff’s Office operation in the 9000 block of 35th SW (map) overnight. KCSO spokesperson Sgt. John Urquhart tells us it was NOT related to the SWAT-involved raid four blocks south last week, but this too was a “drug bust” and resulted in at least one arrest so far. Meantime, we’ve got a burglary attempt and a case of suspected sign-stealing -read on:

From Mike C:

We had a car prowler and quasi-attempted burglary at our house near the intersection of Hillcrest Ave SW and 58th Ave SW (map) that I thought I would share for neighborhood watch purposes.

Early this Wednesday morning around 3:30 AM, I heard the sound of my garage door opening. I went to inspect it and found that it was indeed partially open. I immediately closed it, turned on the lights, and looked out at my car parked outside in the driveway. Some knucklehead (me) had left the car unlocked. The dome light was on so I went to survey the scene. There was no damage to the car, but someone had gone through it.

As I was checking to see if the garage door opener, which I keep hidden away in the car, was there or not, I heard the sound of the garage door open again. I looked up and saw two young men. I did not get a good look at them, but they were both average height, fair skinned and had dark hair. One guy was on the heavy side. They immediately took off running downhill towards Spokane St and 59th Ave SW. I yelled something dorky at them like “Put it down!” and that was the last of it.

The police came, and took some finger prints. They were excited to see that the perps had left a tote bag in the car because it would have their scent on it. Unfortunately, the K-9 unit was not available, or the decision was made not to dispatch it. Not sure which.

Obviously, we are thankful because things could have gone south in any number of ways. In the end, there was no harm to property or people.

Thanks SPD for the quick and thorough response.

Last but not least, Matt at the West Seattle Family YMCA (WSB sponsor) says he’s been putting out signs like the one you see at right, promoting indoor youth soccer – and someone’s been taking them down. Sign theft? Sign rage? Whatever the case, they’re costing a nonprofit organization some money, and he’s hoping someone might have a clue to the mystery.

coffee February 3, 2010 (4:49 pm)

i would be interested in knowing more about the drug bust when it comes available please.
thanks!

kennem February 3, 2010 (5:30 pm)

Hi Matt at the West Seattle Family YMCA, you might want to know that you can’t use public property for private purposes (even if the private purpose is advertising for a nonprofit). And if you’ve been putting the signs on private property instead, it’s possible that the owners of that property have taken the signs up.

mark February 3, 2010 (5:58 pm)

Kennem,

I actually think they can put out the signs on public property, it is free speech after all. I might be wrong (I would love to be, so we can start to just take them ALL down, especially during election times) but I think as long as they don’t face the oncoming traffic they are ok. I would love to know whats fact from fiction on the subject.

coffee February 3, 2010 (6:01 pm)

if you cannot put the signs on public property, then ALL signs, political, sports, etc cannot be displayed? I think that would be sooooo good! If so, then the Pony softball signs would have to come down too?

JayDee February 3, 2010 (6:42 pm)

Mike C: Something like that happened when I left my truck unlocked on the street. I know this happened because my observant neighbor was watching. This guy walks up opens the door, and grabbed the opener. He then started pushing the open button. But none of the garage doors nearby open up. He apparently gave up and went down the street. (My garage is on an alley…).
–
Meanwhile I am on the deck watching fireworks and notice the garage door opening and closing…I go down and look, and close the door, wondering what the deal is–a baby monitor or something…?
–
The next day the neighbor told me what he saw…I got a new opener and changed the codes. You might want to do the same thing if you don’t find the
opener. There is a series of small DIP switches on the main garage door motor, and a corresponding set on the openers. Just make sure both have the same code and you are cool. Good luck.

(required) February 3, 2010 (6:52 pm)

Hey, WSB:

The 9000 block of 35th is just about all apartments, ending on the northeast side of the street, of course, with the library, and the southeast side with Tony’s. Where exactly was the action? Was it the ones on the east or the west side of the street? What was the nature of the raid, exactly? Charges? Who?

Thanks as always!

WSB February 3, 2010 (7:28 pm)

I believe the odd numbered side of the street. Two people e-mailed to ask about it, so I called Sgt. Urquhart, and that’s all the info he had. I don’t have access to a blotter-style sheaf of KCSO reports the way I would if it were SPD, although even if so, reports take a few days to get through the system.

AD February 3, 2010 (7:38 pm)

This week someone was car prowling in my neighborhood (55th/Genesee)…and damaged my new car attempting to get in. Do I need to report that to the police?

Bill February 3, 2010 (7:48 pm)

If there’s no law against placing “attention” signs in the public right-of-way, there should be no law against removing these either. No matter the message or cause, they’re no better than common graffitti and should be removed as the trash that they are. Let’s take a little pride in our West Seattle community. Our public rights-of-way were never meant to be free special interest advertising zones. Removing such trash is not sign stealing –it’s more like community pride in action.

Bill February 3, 2010 (7:53 pm)

One more thing. Signs do not have the right of free speech. Only citizens have the right of free speech. Sign bearers are fine; left behind trash is not.

Melissa February 3, 2010 (8:25 pm)

Jeez, people! It’s soccer. For kids. Exercise and teambuilding! Leave ’em up. Matt’s a great asset to the community and we (and you) should be encouraging him.

coffee February 3, 2010 (9:38 pm)

Agreed, it is a community event that benefits all. I am not knocking the signs, was just wondering if they are legal or not. I will happily display some!

WSB February 3, 2010 (9:51 pm)

Found the right section.
http://clerk.ci.seattle.wa.us/~scripts/nph-brs.exe?s1=23.55.012&s2=&S3=&Sect4=AND&l=20&Sect3=PLURON&Sect5=CODE1&d=CODE&p=1&u=%2F~public%2Fcode1.htm&r=1&Sect6=HITOFF&f=G
.
Yes, they’re legal – but not adjacent to public property (like alongside a road), and if they’re adjacent to private property (like the sign for a different sports league that’s been stuck in one of the planting strips outside our house) you need the property owner’s permission.
.
Doesn’t mean they’re legal to steal or destroy regardless of the circumstances.

Patrick February 3, 2010 (9:53 pm)

YARD SIGNS PROHIBITED ON PUBLIC PROPERTY
The law prohibits placement of campaign signs on all public property, including but not
limited to: medians, boulevards, parks or public golf courses, greenbelts, rights of way to
arterials or freeways, bridges or overpasses or planting strips that abut public property,
such as schools, public buildings, parks or public golf courses.
COMPLAINTS about signs on public property or the planting strip adjacent to public
property should be directed to the City agency responsible for that property, e.g. the
Library, or Parks & Recreation Department, or other appropriate agency.
COMPLAINTS about signs in a public right of way should be directed to the Seattle
Department of Transportation at (206) 684-5267 or by email at annualpermits@seattle.gov .

wsgal February 3, 2010 (10:02 pm)

Hey Matt … While we grown-ups get distracted by our petty debate about signs, THANK YOU for giving our kids something significant to do with their spare time, as opposed to teaching each other how to break into cars and garages.

rob February 7, 2010 (11:23 am)

If I want to post a sign, I do it. No different than holding a welcome home troops sign over I-5 or protesting in Westlake.

Mustafa February 18, 2010 (1:39 pm)

I see signs all the time on public property saying “avoid foreclosure.” Then somebody has gone and cut up the sign so you can’t read the whole phone number. Therefore, although you can’t avoid foreclosure of your house, at least there’s not a complete eyesore of a sign in your parking strip in the meantime.

Sorry, comment time is over.