West Seattle Crime Watch: More Lincoln Park car prowls

| Crime | West Seattle news | West Seattle parks

Lynne texted this photo taken in the south parking lot at Lincoln Park this afternoon:

She was parked next to that vehicle and reports that she returned to her car around noon, same time as the prowled vehicle’s owner. Police were called. As signs in the parking lot warn – and as is the case with many parks – Lincoln Park continues to be a hot spot for vehicle break-ins; Colleen has also e-mailed with a Crime Watch report, saying her car had been broken into twice in two weeks in the north parking lot, first on December 23rd, then again on yesterday. She said she had noticed “a large green truck with tinted windows pull up very close next to my car” yesterday before discovering her window had been smashed again. Both incidents, Colleen said, have been reported to police (who offer prevention advice here).

P.S. The police-reports map (which you can configure for date/type of crime) shows at least six car break-ins reported in Lincoln Park lots in the past month; that number could be low, as we know from e-mail exchanges that people don’t always report the prowls, especially if nothing was taken. (In another one-month check in mid-December, the map showed 11.) Do report it if it happens to you; you can even do so online.

B January 6, 2015 (3:13 pm)

Maybe instead of parking every day on the admiral hill and giving speeding tickets, SPD could park a squad car on the other side of the street from Lincoln Park and catch these perps?

w.s.maverick January 6, 2015 (3:46 pm)

nobody likes a thief keep your eyes open people and lets keep west seattle crime free

MAS January 6, 2015 (3:59 pm)

Hmm, speeders endanger my life and my families life, thieves endanger my property.

Please keep ticketing the speeders if it has to be a choice between the two.

Mike January 6, 2015 (4:00 pm)

“Maybe instead of parking every day on the admiral hill and giving speeding tickets, SPD could park a squad car on the other side of the street from Lincoln Park and catch these perps?”
.
Best of luck. That’s loss of revenue for SPD. I sent in a complaint about 3rd and Pike/Pine a while back, to be told it’s a non issue area and they don’t have resources to allocate to that area anyhow. An older mans leg was shattered on New Years Eve at 3rd and Pine, he was going to take photos of the fireworks. The local residents at 3rd and Pine put him in a wheel chair, he’ll be in it for months now. That’s SPD’s response to complaints about areas we all know are problem areas, they don’t respond.

workdowntown January 6, 2015 (4:23 pm)

There has been a car parked parked in front of my house for over a week and I have no idea who it belongs to. Its a dark green Mazda something. How could I find out if its stolen? Thanks!

Neighbor January 6, 2015 (4:24 pm)

You know everyday Admiral is becoming more dangerous by the selfish who think it’s their right to drive while blathering on the cell all the while driving 55. SPD is saving lives everytime they write those selfish drivers up.

I wish it was a daily event.
Thank you SPD, from my entire neighborhood.

Vanessa January 6, 2015 (4:35 pm)

Bigger signs at the parking lot?
But how can people nowadays not know, that if you leave anything visible in your cars, you are asking for trouble.
Some folks even leave their cars empty AND unlocked…so at least if some creep gets in there, there is nothing to steal and hopefully no damage done.

John January 6, 2015 (4:56 pm)

Can we please get some police presence in and around Lincoln Park? It’s simply not safe to park there these days.

Norman January 6, 2015 (5:20 pm)

I know the police cant be every where but where are they when they are not responding to a call? driving in circles, maybe sitting some where other than where we as the public would want them to be?

Norman January 6, 2015 (5:24 pm)

So where do the police sit when not out on a call?

G January 6, 2015 (5:31 pm)

Seattle’s astronomical property crime rate is an embarrassment. I’m sick of crime in my immediate vicinity and West Seattle in general. Frustrated beyond words.

Craig January 6, 2015 (5:34 pm)

Why not put up surveillance cameras in the parking lots? Isn’t that a logical way to inexpensively watch the lot and get specific information about the description of who commits the break in?

grh January 6, 2015 (5:37 pm)

Is there some logical reason why cameras and appropriate signs can’t be installed at these park locations to discourage the creeps?

Josh January 6, 2015 (5:38 pm)

We used to be pretty insulated on the peninsula here… is there any correlation between the two Rapid Ride stations (across from each parking lot) and the huge rise in mischief? It seems Rapid Ride is bringing people in pretty easily, with quick escapes back out!

DBurns January 6, 2015 (5:39 pm)

Maybe they could make up the revenue by TICKETING ALL OF THE UNLEASHED DOGS!!! ;)

mrsMarty January 6, 2015 (5:43 pm)

Too bad we just couldn’t leave our car windows down and nothing in the vehicle so there wouldn’t be anything to steal…dang Seattle weather won’t permit us too though!

Busrider January 6, 2015 (5:43 pm)

If a car is parked on your street for several days and its not your neighbors or guest’s of your neighbors you can call it in to police on the non emergency line. All stolen cars are in a national database. Give them the license #. i am still waiting for someone to call in my stolen car if it was abandoned by the theives.

Busrider January 6, 2015 (5:47 pm)

Wsb, Does spd have a map of where stolen cars are abandoned? Just wondering if there’s somewhere to look for my stolen honda.

WSB January 6, 2015 (6:07 pm)

You can sort the police reports map for theft locations but there’s no separate sort for recovery locations. Even if you look at Tweets by Beat and it says “auto theft/recovery,” it usually links to the theft address. Anecdotally, of all the places we’ve heard of stolen cars turning up, could be anywhere. Including outside West Seattle.

howdy January 6, 2015 (5:56 pm)

Cameras in the parking lot would work great…until they get vandalized or stolen.

Rick January 6, 2015 (6:07 pm)

Good luck with that. Even though they caught the guy who stole my Jeep it sat in the tow lot for a month until the lot owners notified my they had it and were auctioning it the next day.

cj January 6, 2015 (6:29 pm)

Ive seen a lot more “mischief” since I moved back to West Seattle in 07 way before the Rapid Ride. The parks will always be a target for those who recognize that there is no authority present. We need real security patrolling the parks.

Mike January 6, 2015 (6:34 pm)

to workdowntown.

I found this Twitter page you could look at. It lists stolen vehicles. If that car is on this list you can call 911 to report it.

https://twitter.com/getyourcarback

WSB January 6, 2015 (6:52 pm)

Thanks, Mike – please note, though, that a vehicle’s absence from that list doesn’t mean it’s not stolen – @getyourcarback only lists Seattle thefts (it is a Seattle Police-operated feed), and if the vehicle was stolen more than a few days ago, even if it’s on @getyourcarback, it will be hard to find. Also, sometimes cars are abandoned before their owners ever know they’ve been stolen! But check there, by all means, just don’t assume it’s not stolen if it’s not there. If it’s been in one place, not moved, for more than three days, you can report it as abandoned, and do call police if there is any reason to suspect someone may have come to harm in or because of it …

LyndaB January 6, 2015 (7:25 pm)

How about we install cameras with laser beams that are remonitored remotely then we can zap them!

Bradley January 6, 2015 (7:39 pm)

Too many people in Seattle hate the police and have cheered the DOJ for attacking them, neutering them, and tying their hands. We should not be shocked that petty thieves are taking advantage of this situation and preying on our vehicles at our parks.

Tim January 6, 2015 (8:16 pm)

Thanks Bradley, I couldn’t agree more.
Plus if you visit a park and don’t take your belongings with you and hid them under the seat the jerks are watching.

JayDee January 6, 2015 (9:05 pm)

Please @Bradley: connecting DOJ issues (which are justifiable) to car prowls is a stretch at best. @Tim: Blaming the victim is also a not generally encouraged. What can Seattle, us and the SPD, do to resolve what it is clearly a problem? Put the cameras (focused on the lots) or bait cars and maybe we can determine if RR C or just lots of car prowlers visit Lincoln Park. I will say it is a lot easier for neighborhoods to the east to visit, and less observation than Alki. Plus people run into the woods and are quickly screened from their cars. Focus on solutions.

Tbone January 6, 2015 (9:11 pm)

Car prowling has been going on in Lincoln park since I moved here in 1998. I remember seeing signs at the time (which i don’t know whether or not are still there) warning people parking that it was a high car prowl area, leave nothing visible, park at your own risk, etc… I suppose they puzzled me; a stupid sap that grew up in the suburbs of Illinois, later the eastside / bellevue area, and Pullman. I’d never really seen a sign indicating that whoever is in charge had effectively capitulated. Their best and only effort was to put up a sign saying, effectively, you’ve been warned your car will likely be broken into if you leave it here.

A few years later, maybe 2002, I went through the citizens academy with King County Sheriffs office and commented to them that seeing officers on break at Starbucks up the street and a ‘known car prowl area’ so near by made no sense. I wondered why they weren’t encouraged to sit and take breaks there and be present. They laughed at me, my Pollyanna view of the world and went on talking about how they approach enforcing and prioritize various criminal activities…

Obviously it was enough of a problem to get someone to order that signs be made indicating the risk, and the city paid for someone to print and make up the signs, and another person or three to go out and plant those signs…

While I know King county Sheriffs office is not SPD, the same mindset seems to be at work. A problem has existed for years there. Many, many, many shameful years. And people who could make a difference sit around wringing their hands and smirking at the mere idea that a police car sitting in the parking lot is big deterrent to most criminals…

B January 6, 2015 (9:16 pm)

Say what Bradley? Again with this BS DOJ nonsense. Thieves have always targeted lincoln park and all other parks. The DOJ cracking down on the bad apples in the SPD for breaking the law and their oath has nothing to do with it.

http://www.justice.gov/crt/about/spl/documents/spd_findletter_12-16-11.pdf

If you want a reminder of what was found.

Julia January 6, 2015 (9:45 pm)

You can report abandoned cars on the city website if you don’t want to call. FYI

WSB January 6, 2015 (10:49 pm)

https://seattle-p1csrprodcwi.motorolasolutions.com/ServiceRequest.mvc/SRIntake

hsmama January 6, 2015 (10:07 pm)

My husband is a 911 Comm. Officer. Unfortunately for those of us frustrated by property crime, but fortunately for this in life threatening situations, car prowls ate low on the priority list. Officers can’t track down every petty criminal in our large city. Give these guys a break and know that for the most part, our SPD does the best it can, with the resources it has. And whomever commented on tying their hands, yes and yes. This has changed the way they can patrol simply by not allowing police to do their jobs without their movements being tracked more closely than say, the criminals we so desperately want off our streets.

Shawn January 6, 2015 (11:11 pm)

I just had my window smashed out in broad daylight and the thief took my personal laptop and other valuables. We live next to the tennis courts across from Lincoln Park. I filed a report

Truth be told January 6, 2015 (11:34 pm)

Thank you B… It’s refreshing to see facts instead if opinions, especially on that matter!!

phil dirt January 7, 2015 (9:39 am)

I agree with Bradley and hsmama.

AG January 7, 2015 (9:45 am)

@workdowntown: there used to be a hotspot for stolen hondas on 20th between Trenton and Barton. There was a thief who lived nearby who would boost the cars from all over town and then park them on 20th for the next thief to pick up for stripping or whatever. I discovered this quite by accident when I parked my old Accord in that block and it was gone in an hour. They thought it was one of “theirs.” Another place to look is coming down the hill on Barton between Delridge and 26th, in that curve. They’re parked on the side of the road there a lot.

Hope you find your car!!

heylady January 7, 2015 (11:32 am)

I sympathize with everyone who has suffered due to vandalism and burglary. Unfortunately it seems we simply cannot leave valuables in our vehicles at our homes or anywhere else. When we do, they get stolen. To solve the problem is to remove the valuables. I do not expect the police to protect my car or its contents. Is that wrong?

wsres January 7, 2015 (1:33 pm)

How about a bait car? SPD sting? Cameras? No brainer.

HelperMonkey January 7, 2015 (3:25 pm)

FWIW I saw a police car pull into Lincoln Park N parking lot today.

WSB January 7, 2015 (3:33 pm)

Hope it was patrol and not response!

HelperMonkey January 7, 2015 (4:34 pm)

should have clarified – it didn’t look like there was anything going on there so I assumed patrol.

Chris W January 7, 2015 (5:14 pm)

I got off a Rapid Ride at Lincoln Park Saturday night at 6:30 with a backpack & flashlight (for night hike advertised here). Cops approached to check me out in under 2 minutes, citing the park as a high car prowl area. Was good to see them patroling there.

Bob S. January 7, 2015 (9:32 pm)

A few weeks ago as my wife and I returned to the North parking lot from a noon time Lincoln Park walk, we walked past our vehicle to get just a little more walking in. As I always park away from other cars I immediately noticed a car pull into the lot and park very close to ours, with all kinds of other available spots. He must have saw me take notice as he immediately backed out and departed. After he was gone, I realized he must have been scoping out our vehicle.

LC January 9, 2015 (11:43 am)

We just had our car window broken in this same lot this morning. We had left no valuables in the car, nothing interesting was visible, and so nothing was taken. Still disappointing to deal with a broken window and I will certainly think twice about parking there again, although it’s my daughter’s favorite place. Everyone that stopped and chatted with us was so friendly and sorry on our behalf, I certainly appreciate that we live in a community that has such great people, even when this happens.

Rick January 9, 2015 (1:49 pm)

Make Lincoln Park lots more bike friendly. Ya know, no cars allowed. Bike corral parking only. Problem solved,eh?

WSB January 9, 2015 (2:00 pm)

Why, yes, in fact, no cars = no car prowls. I suspect you’re just trying to be sardonic, but if not, you could certainly make that proposal to the Seattle Parks Board. SPD’s bicycle patrols seem to have helped cut down on trouble in Roxhill Park – haven’t heard much out of there for a while. Don’t know about their current Lincoln Park rotation, still waiting to hear back from the precinct.

Sorry, comment time is over.