Followup: “Charlestown Neighbor” shares burglary-fighting tips

Some people refuse to read comments on online news stories, for myriad reasons: No time; no interest; the suspicion that all comment sections are like the ones on “anything goes” sites, toxic pits of profanity and insults. While some comments might seem like time-wasters, an amazing amount of WSB’ers use comments to add helpful information, both during breaking/developing stories, and sometimes on stories that are days old, like this one from last Monday about neighbors hit by burglars. Since even regular comment-readers don’t tend to go back and check older stories, we wanted to highlight the followup that just appeared in that story’s comment section:

Thank you everyone for the helpful information. Even though we’ve been burglarized, we still love West Seattle, and it is unlikely that these burglaries are isolated to West Seattle. Wherever there are items that can be pawned or hawked on Craigslist, there’s some thief that wants them.

Here are some of the lessons we’ve learned since the burglary (along with a few opinions of our own).

As a neighborhood, we need to coordinate our efforts. We will plan to contribute.

We have heard lots of stories about how Craigslist seems to be fueling this problem. Let’s start getting the word out that until Craigslist puts in some security measures to deter thieves from selling our stuff, it is little more than an online black market and pawn shop.

From what we’ve heard and read, there is a fairly serious mail theft problem in West Seattle. Best thing to do is to lock your mailbox or get a P.O. box.

Serial numbers are helpful to the police, take an hour and go through your electronics and write down the serial numbers and store them somewhere online so they can be included with police reports.

An audible (external) alarm or a dog is a very good deterrent to burglary.

We’ve also heard that people sometimes don’t report the issue even when they see it or hear it. As a neighborhood, we should be reporting to police when we hear audible alarms and barking dogs or anything that sounds like it could be really bad.

After this experience, we’re absolutely convinced that suspicious soliciting (such as our Comcast visitor) or loitering activities (such as the type we’ve read about here on the other WSB burglary postings) should be reported immediately to the police (not hours later, immediately). We will be doing our part by calling the police on suspicious solicitors and ask them to come out and check their credentials.

We’ll keep checking in here, we really appreciate the helpful information, and we hope that sharing what we’ve learned since our burglary will help others to prevent it from happening to them.

(Note: CL has an official policy banning sales of stolen property.) We have long said, WSB doesn’t have “readers,” it has collaborators. Comments are a simple form of collaboration; sending information (here’s how), from event listings to photos to Crime Watch reports and much more, is another way. But even if you “only” read, you are still collaborating, by seeking and using information. Thank you.

18 Replies to "Followup: "Charlestown Neighbor" shares burglary-fighting tips"

  • alki_2008 February 7, 2010 (2:13 am)

    I’m sorry that someone was burglarized, but to assert that Craigslist is part of the problem is ridiculous. People have sold stolen items for years before the internet even existed. Why not blame Ebay or pawn shops or the Little Nickel? I’m guessing because of the other ‘news’ items associated with Craiglist (ie, the Craigslist killer). Blaming Craigslist for thefts is like blaming gun manufacturers when someone is shot.
    .
    The other points have more merit.

  • tincanrocket February 7, 2010 (2:47 am)

    10 simple ways to deter residential burglars…

    1) get a dog
    2) leave talk radio playing when you are not home.
    3) close your blinds and curtains when you leave your house (lock al doors and windows)
    4) install motion activated lights on the exterior (especially in blind spots tat have limited view from the street)
    5) use light timers in multiple rooms when you are away for the evening or if your arrive home after dark from work, etc
    6) get a dog
    7) get a dog
    8) get a dog
    9) get a dog
    10) and finally, get a dog

  • Cloudbreak February 7, 2010 (6:59 am)

    The other obvious tip is to make sure your local neighborhood has a Block Watch program if it doesn’t already. Also help to make sure that the annual “Night Out” event happens in the summer to meet your neighbors and keep good communication with your neighbors happening.

    Our Southwest Precinct coordinator of the Block Watch program is:
    Southwest Precinct- Benjamin Kinlow
    (206) 684-7724
    benjamin.kinlow@seattle.gov

    Some additional info on prevention:
    http://www.seattle.gov/police/prevention/

  • Amanda February 7, 2010 (9:29 am)

    I agree with Alki. Blame Craigslist? Wow, that’s really reaching. And it makes me a little mad too. Well, I guess everyone has an opinion right?

  • shane February 7, 2010 (9:31 am)

    I no longer have a dog. When she was with us however, I’m fairly sure she would have helped a burglar carry out the tv for a milk bone and a tummy rub :)

  • PSPS February 7, 2010 (9:41 am)

    Sorry, alki_2008, but Craigslist is, indeed, a big problem. They can post all the rules they want on their website but, with their admonition that “craigslist users remain responsible for complying…,” it doesn’t really mean anything. Without some kind of positive way of identifying the person who posts an ad, it is merely a convenient fencing operation.
    ~
    Ebay is the same way. Even though Ebay requires a PayPal account to sell items, these are easy to set up anonymously with a disposable email address (MSN, hotmail, Yahoo, etc.,) and a pre-paid “credit card.”
    ~
    I know people who have had items stolen and found them listed the same day on Craigslist or Ebay.

  • mikeHLandPark February 7, 2010 (10:25 am)

    People a dog is not a cheap security device!!! A dog is a living creature that you HAVE to take care of and consider part of your family. Yes as a side effect they might help deter someone, however they may not be as effective as you think. Consider if someone breaks in to your house feeds your dog a nice slice or 10 of bacon and then lets it run free…. If you want a security device buy a security system/camera and stop leaving your dog inside/outside barking all day and night because you only wanted a security system not a companion. You will be contributing to the blight of a neighborhood with your untrained unwanted “security” system and decreasing other people’s comfort with the neighborhood. The more mistreated dogs I see the less I think of a neighborhood, and the more displeasure I or someone else will get when walking through a neighborhood.

  • mark February 7, 2010 (10:42 am)

    Really? Blame Craigslist? So are you saying we have WAY more burglaries than we did before Craigslist came around? Not even close. Actually, Craigslist makes it even EASIER to bust the thief. Never before have you been able to sort and search for your items. Plus, do you think the thief knows how to hide his IP address, etc to stay stealth? If they were that smart, they would have a job and not need to steal. Besides, if Craigslist didn’t excist, then another site would.

  • Lola February 7, 2010 (10:55 am)

    Hi all,

    We have a block watch in our neighborhood. Our Block watch captian got broken into on a Saturday in broad daylight. They even had a securtiy system alarm in the house but the security people only called on the hm phone and told them that nobody would be coming out to check as to why the alarm was going off.

    We do keep watch on our neghborhood but it is hard to do it 24/7, you would become a prisoner in your own home if u never left for fear you might get broken into.

    These times are a changing and not for the better.

  • E February 7, 2010 (11:09 am)

    The #3 tip above from tincanrocket is one that I use without fail, and I think it’s a good deterrant.

    If a thief can’t see inside your house, they can’t see what they’d be getting into if they broke a window or kicked open a door. There could be three burly guys cleaning their guns sitting quietly inside!

    I’m always surprised to see how often my neighbors leave open their drapes/blinds when they’re not home, and you can see quite clearly that no one is home.

  • kg February 7, 2010 (12:43 pm)

    11. Reinforce your outside doors: Check your existing deadbolt. First, make sure the screws are tight. Open the door and extend the throw bolt. If it extends less than 1 in., or if it’s wobbly, a new deadbolt will be more secure. Check the doorjamb and both strike plates. Remove the screws from the deadbolt and lockset strike plates on the door frame. If the screws aren’t 3 in. long, replace them, and also upgrade both plates. These longer screws will reinforce the doorjamb.

    12. Plant thorny type plants under windows.

  • anonymous February 7, 2010 (2:02 pm)

    On Wednesday, 2/4, my home was broken into and ransacked. I have not found anything missing yet. The back yard security light bulbs were taken out of fixture and cord ripped out. The glass on back door was smashed and entry appears to have been made from there. Most of the contents were completely destroyed. Furniture smashed to pieces, bed thrown accross room, very heavy furniture overturned…. It is quite traumatic. I am sorry for anyone effected by this type of crime. It is hard to be displaced from your home, deal with the insurance comapanies and clean up crews and try to work. Especially when all of your shoes and clothing has been destroyed. I have a dog. The dogs bone is usually in the front yard, I found the bone in the back yard after the break in. One neighbors blares music all day and my neighbors said that the music was all they could hear at the time of break in. I think that it is more important now than ever for neighbors to band together and support each other. My neighbors have been fabulously supportive.

  • charlie horse February 7, 2010 (2:48 pm)

    You can call the police right away, but they will not come for hours. We have called them, again, and again. Hours later when they finally come tell US to alert the neighbors and ‘watch out’ (instead of tracking down the criminals or simply showing up when they are there).

    Hope someone else has better luck with SPD, for all that tax money they should be helping someone.

  • homedk February 7, 2010 (3:04 pm)

    So sorry to hear about these recent burglaries. Nice to see all the tips & suggestions on this list – thanks! We agree with the comment about immediately reporting suspicious soliciting; personally, I think that’s more of a problem than people realize.

    Regarding drapes & lighting, my feeling is that it is better to be consistent with these & try to maintain a similar look whether you are home or gone. I notice that some people unintentionally signal that they are gone by closing all window coverings & turning on a porch light just before they leave, otherwise they have drapes open & light off.

  • Aim February 7, 2010 (3:11 pm)

    Seconded charlie horse’s comment.

    The other night we had a very clear attempt by someone to talk his way into our home. We called police to report him in hopes of preventing a successful re-attempt on any of our neighbors. We had a good description of him, and reported it within 30 seconds of him leaving our door. We were told, “let your neighbors know and if we’re not too busy we’ll do a driveby of the neighborhood, maybe.”

  • Jenny DB February 8, 2010 (3:29 pm)

    I feel MUCH safer with my dog around. Even though he is really a gentle giant, his bark sounds REAL mean and he let’s me know when there are people coming towards the door. I’d like to think that a low growl and bark would make most thieves think twice!

    In regards to mail theft, a locking mailbox will deter most mail thieves. Just a caveat, though, that not all locking mailboxes will prevent mail theft. A lot of them are really poorly made and can be easily fished or pried. McLendon’s in White Center and Junction True Value both carry the Mail Boss, which cannot be fished by hand or easily pried open, FYI.

  • Fiona February 17, 2010 (6:26 pm)

    I have a funky older small house, but the man who used to live here bolted plexiglass over the back door window. The bolts facing outside are just domed, no one could use pliers or a wrench to remove, nuts are on inside. He put wood framing over the plexiglas edges both inside and out. It’s not horrible looking and is a pretty inexpensive (compared with home security systems or metal security doors) way to secure a windowed door. Just a thought.

    Our apartment was robbed when I was a kid, so I remember the sense of violation. We were coming in the back door as the thieves were leaving out the front door. It really affects your peace of mind. Fiona

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