West Seattle Crime Watch: ‘Tis the season for car prowls

We’re not being flip; that’s what police have reminded those attending recent community meetings including the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council this past week: The holidays mean more opportunistic car prowlers on the lookout for loot while you’re out shopping. We have received two car-prowl reports, both from incidents last night. First, a Morgan Junction incident reported by Tara:

I wanted to report a car prowl at the Starbucks location 6501 California Ave SW. Between 9 and 10 (Saturday night), my red Focus had its window smashed and a bag inside taken. Nothing of large monetary value, except for the broken window. Keep an eye out!

And this one in The Junction, reported by Barb:

My friend and I were parking our cars in the parking lot on 42nd SW between Alaska and SW Oregon (behind Windermere) at about 8:50pm

There were 4 people standing by a car with the car doors and trunk open. They told us someone had smashed a window in their car and stole a purse and an iPad. There was so much glass near by it may have also happened to another car too. I don’t know if you could see either item through a window or not.

Please remind people not to leave valuables in their cars no matter where they park. I know everyone should know this but, I was reminded not everyone remembers.

And even if nothing is taken, or nothing much, PLEASE report it to police so they have information on where the car prowlers are working – you can even file a report online (unless stolen property is valued above $500). But we hope you don’t need that link – especially if you take the advice you’ll find by following this one about car-prowl prevention.

9 Replies to "West Seattle Crime Watch: 'Tis the season for car prowls"

  • JanS November 25, 2012 (1:16 pm)

    Barb points out the obvious…if you value it, please don’t leave it in your car. Ipads, iPhones, , iPods..anything worth anything. If there’s nothing there for them to take, they will move on, hopefully :)

    So sorry this is so blatantly happening in our business district !

  • Use Common Sense November 25, 2012 (1:28 pm)

    Leave NOTHING visible inside your vehicle.

    Thieves are opportunistic and will not think twice smashing in a car window to steal anything left in the car.

  • cmc November 25, 2012 (2:39 pm)

    We live on 47th between Alaska and Oregon and there were multiple police cars slowly driving around our block last night with their search light on for quite some time. It was probably around 10pm. Related? Anyone know?

  • SLS November 25, 2012 (3:30 pm)

    My garage was broken into (nothing taken) and my neighbor’s father’s truck was broken into and some change taken. Admiral area on Hanford between Walnut & 40th. I’ve made a police report for the garage break-in, and am awaiting an officer visit, which I was told is standard procedure, even though nothing was taken.

  • fiz November 25, 2012 (7:46 pm)

    CMC: an officer stopped to talk with us and said they were looking for someone. They had been told he was in the area.. they were looking at the other end of the Junction too.

  • WSB November 26, 2012 (8:46 am)

    Personal message to “Phil” – If you have a concern, you are welcome to contact us directly. editor@westseattleblog.com any time – Tracy

  • kenyon November 26, 2012 (11:28 am)

    I’ve noticed broken auto glass several times lately at the Junction parking on 42nd Ave SW, to the East of Lee’s Asian and the Antique Mall area of the Junction. Perhaps I missed a note in the WSB about these occurences.

    • WSB November 26, 2012 (11:31 am)

      Crime Watch is never all-encompassing – since information from police (beyond the date/time of a response) is difficult to obtain, we are reliant on people sharing the news if (heaven forbid) it happens to them. That said, yes, we have had at least two car-prowl reports from that lot, before this one, in recent weeks.

  • C November 28, 2012 (11:22 pm)

    This has been happening to 2 or more cars 2-3 times a week for like 6 weeks now…. Why is SPD not doing more to stop this ? There is obviously a pattern happening over & over… one would think that the frequency of this happening would make it easy to get these Punks….

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