West Seattle Crime Watch: Thankful for alert neighbor

| Crime | West Seattle news

We don’t know if they have a Block Watch, but what CJ‘s neighbor did for her epitomizes how they’re supposed to work:

I just wanted to pass on what happened (Wednesday). I came home to a story from my nanny. Late (in the) morning a neighbor (who I have not met) who lives in the apartments across the alley came over to tell us that she had seen a man in our backyard looking around there and into our next-door neighbor’s yard. Our backyard is enclosed by a high fence and the gate is always closed. You have to reach over the fence to open the gate. The neighbor told our nanny that she asked the man what he was doing and that he then asked her for money. She called the police who came soon after.

We live on the 2100 block of 42nd Ave SW. If you pass this on to your readers, would you please thank my neighbor for her concern and actions?

You just did! P.S. Registration has just opened for the annual event in which you can get together with your neighbors to celebrate and enhance prevention, awareness, and just plain neighborliness – Night Out on August 7th. The updated SPD webpage is here.

bsmomma June 14, 2012 (6:58 am)

Wow. This is my block! We have a high fence as well!! I would LOVE to start a block watch!! And would love to meet the neighbors! We know the ones on either side but that’s it. Please let me know and let’s do this!!

JW June 14, 2012 (7:56 am)

Bsmomma, there’s a link on WSB for block watch. You email Mark Solomon who helps you to organize a meeting and you invite your neighbors by mail or drop of flyer and viola, you have yourself a block watch! You van be the coordinator or captain. Minimal work.

WSB June 14, 2012 (8:42 am)

The link is from the words Block Watch right at the start of this story – just click and it’ll take you to the SPD info page – TR

ScottA June 14, 2012 (8:42 am)

I’m so glad the Night Out has finally overcome the legal and/or technical challenges to mapping the events. I seem to remember a year or two ago they were unable or unwilling to disclose where events were happening which really baffled me since that would seem to be important to avoid duplication or just find a nearby event at the last minute to attend. Good job – who ever at the city figured this out!

WSB June 14, 2012 (9:21 am)

Agreed that the map’s great, though it is voluntary, and self-serve. So the map still is not likely to be comprehensive, unfortunately. (Unless everybody joins in! Go, neighborhoods, go!) Every year we have put out a call (and of course will renew it this year!) for anybody who doesn’t mind us stopping by for a photo, to let us know where their block party is … always too many to get to them all BUT we get to as many as we can and it’s always fun to see neighbors out . (editor@westseattleblog.com)

MC June 14, 2012 (8:46 am)

I live on the same block, I know we used to have a block watch set up but it was difficult to keep the neighbors active.

bsmomma June 14, 2012 (9:39 am)

I’l work on it! We especially need one for the alley side on 42nd. I know I’ve found crap pipes and drug baggies back there on more than one occasion.

CJ June 14, 2012 (11:00 am)

Thanks WSB for posting my thanks – I truly hope my neighbor reads this and sees them.

bsmomma – a yahoo group was set up for the blockwatch for our block – it is called blockwatch42. MC is right that it is not terribly active (I am guilty), but not for lack of a few people trying. So we need more to be active and this episode will certainly get me to the next event!

Jac June 14, 2012 (3:41 pm)

The blockwatch works if people keep their recent email address listed. It’s a yahoo group – thanks CJ. Residents around the 1900-2100 blocks of 42nd Ave and connecting streets – Ferry, Hill, Walker, College, can email blockwatch42@yahoogroups.com. If you have difficulty with this, post here and I’ll give you a personal email address so I can invite you. We have a 7 year history and do the night out (skipped last year). National Night out this year is Tuesday August 7. We’ll be dropping flyers around the neighborhood the week before. we usually have it around the stairs at Hill Street and 42nd.

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