West Seattle Crime Watch: Police search Lincoln Park after nearby burglary

| Crime | West Seattle news | West Seattle police

9:21 AM: If you’ve noticed police near/inside Lincoln Park this morning – we’ve just found out what the search is about. We started looking into it after a texted tip (thank you!) about police near 47th and Othello. We were unable to get more information at the scene but just reached SPD media-relations Det. Mark Jamieson by phone; he tells WSB, that’s where a resident reported seeing someone break into a neighbor’s house. They told police they saw someone come out of the house “carrying something” and then heading into the park. Officers called for a K-9, who picked up a track and has been helping search – no word of an arrest so far, but as of just before 9 am, according to scanner traffic, they’re still searching.

3:39 PM: Just checked with SPD. No arrest in this case so far. (If you have any info – it’s 16-334518.)

Eric1 September 15, 2016 (9:33 am)

Hopefully the dog will take a bite out of crime. I hate thieves.

Erin September 15, 2016 (2:10 pm)

I used to live there . Those apartments are owned by the Kenny. I hope Jon, Jamie , bob and Liz are ok.

HelperMonkey September 15, 2016 (9:50 am)

there was just an arrest at the bus stop at Findlay and California. Not sure if related, but could be.

Chuck September 15, 2016 (9:58 am)

Sweep the park and get the whole lot of “campers” out of there. This problem will only escalate if Lincoln Park continues to be a safe harbor for transients. Or, you know, the mayor could spend his time focusing on 20mph zoning mandates. Oh, wait.

WSB September 15, 2016 (10:11 am)

HM – thanks. I was planning to check back with SPD later to see if they found anyone – we had to leave the scanner for about half an hour.

Chuck – We don’t have a name or even a description of the suspect so we don’t know if they were a “camper” or not. The last suspect who fled into the park had an address nearby. Meantime, we did report in our coverage of this week’s Fauntleroy Community Association meeting that SPD says burglary is up in the area (which includes Lincoln Park) – but “up” in this area currently means, one per week. Meantime, as noted in our coverage of last night’s 34th District Democrats meeting, 40 percent of city parks have people camping in them and most “swept” encampments are reoccupied. Not to say that’s right or wrong, but the 40% stat, I hadn’t heard before. – TR
Liz September 15, 2016 (12:37 pm)

Yes, we wouldn’t want our children to be safe walking to school.

Chuck September 15, 2016 (10:23 am)

Interesting (and thanks for that nugget, Tracy). The 40% by itself is concerning, but it’s an incomplete measure: is that 1 or 2 “campers” per park on average, or more like 15 to 20? Gawd, the toll on the environment (that’s a lot of human waste not being addressed) is frightening. The idea of people living intentionally hidden just off of a well-traveled trail is frightening!

These are the type of problems the mayor/city council should be addressing. Step up the police enforcement, help find these people real housing alternatives, and keep them out of these public jewels. At this point, I don’t even feel safe strolling through LP. And that is a recent development. How long until more people–more families–avoid it altogether and give it over to the transients?

Sorry for the rant. I’m just so disillusioned by the leadership of this city.

Rick September 15, 2016 (10:26 am)

I’d also be disillusioned with the leadership, if we had some.

wsn00b September 15, 2016 (10:40 am)

Does Lincoln Park have encampments now?

Double Dub Resident September 15, 2016 (11:52 am)

@wsn, when I went there last with my daughter at the north end of the park there was an encampment with about 4 people who looked to have a serious drug problem. I’d call them meth heads, because that’s what they appeared to be but I don’t want to offend the crowd. Oh wait, I guess I did call them that….. oh well

FauntleroyT September 15, 2016 (12:08 pm)

There were folks living in Lincoln Park in the 1970’s when I was a teenager. Stumbled across a few in the day.

Kersti Muul September 15, 2016 (12:18 pm)

This was not a homeless person. I am the one who called the police. He went east on 47th.

I was awoken by the sound of broken glass, as he knocked over a table. He cut himself on it.

He was practically in my backyard, He climbed onto the neighbor’s deck and I watched him open, then go through the window. He came back out the sliding door with items, that he lowered onto the ground with and then jumped off the deck and went out the gate, direction being EAST onto 47th.

Where he went after that is anyone’s guess. K-9’s searched the park and Wright ave.

Dark clothing, hoodie, ball cap. Blue. No gloves.

Oakley34 September 15, 2016 (12:45 pm)

Oh cmon let us not allow facts to get in the way of our blaming any and all acts of crime on the homeless camping in the parks!

melissa September 15, 2016 (12:52 pm)

Hey, Double Dub Resident, rather than your passive aggressive comments about not wanting to offend, I’m more interested in whether you called the police after you saw someone using drugs in the park. Or did you not see them using and just assume that they were meth users? I recently saw someone shooting up on the street and, rather than blaming city government for someone’s addiction, I called 911. And the police were very responsive. What did you do?

Carole September 15, 2016 (1:56 pm)

If the guy cut himself he left his DNA. If he has a criminal history his DNA is in the state database. No reason they couldn’t track the guy’s identity if they tried.

Kersti Muul September 15, 2016 (2:48 pm)

I believe they got prints
Wheat September 15, 2016 (9:26 pm)

…..and 15 years later Carole you might get a DNA hit. The backup in WSP’s labs could never justify the cost or time to ID a burglary suspect. There are rape kits still untested from over a decade ago.

Double Dub Resident September 15, 2016 (3:31 pm)

Well clap clap Melissa, but considering that the people I saw were not doing drugs at that point in time, there’s not much I could do, is there? So am I saying they’re drug addicts simply because they’re homeless? Nope. Their appearance, behaviors, and motor skills (or lack there of) pointed to this. Anyone who hasn’t lived under a rock can spot a hard drug user. Not to mention I’ve interned at a drug rehab facility, so I’m familiar.

And I’m always vigilant and will call the police if I see something. In fact yesterday I did that with 3 guys looking to be casing houses, the same set of guys who seem to have made Roxhill their home.

And this idea that all of these homeless people have just hit a tough break is naive at best. Yes, there are people who are homeless who have not caught a break, but the majority are where they are through a series of bad decisions. These people have burned all their bridges with friends, family, etc. and that’s why they’re where they are.

Do people think that the homeless population who are drug addicts get their income needed simply through begging? Come on that is naive!!

I’ve lived in Westwood for almost 20 years and have seen an uptick in petty crime starting with Nickelsville as some of the population made the climb up the hill to pan handle at Westwood Village only to be exacerbated by the Rapid Ride that made it easier for the homeless to travel.

Magnolia has had issues also where residents were finding their stolen items at an RV encampment and maybe people need to go down to the end of airport way by the international district and take a look see at all the bikes down there in various states of disarray, sometimes over a dozen at one tent . Are you naive enough to think those are legit? Yeah, about as legit as the shopping carts. Not to mention that Charles Street across the street which is a City of Seattle entity has started locking its gates that were open before because it was getting too bad down there.

And now the city council is throwing around the idea of essentially legalizing homeless encampments in our public parks?!! Are you kidding me?!! Diluting the issue through disbursement is not dealing with it. How asinine!

The Jungle is dangerous. Talk to any police officer who’s had to deal with going in there and they’ll tell you all kinds of crazy /scary stories from their own experiences and now the city council essentially wants to disburse them throughout the city. That’s great, just great

Chuck September 15, 2016 (4:22 pm)

Thank you for this (I think) tempered response. Seattle is becoming an increasingly dangerous city. Our mayor and city council put a tax on guns and ammunition, but then support the type of wrong-headed ideas that put the average citizen at greater risk. And make no mistake: rolling over on the homeless problem directly puts the average You and Me at greater risk.

Double Dub Resident September 15, 2016 (3:33 pm)

And BTW Melissa, when did I blame the government for someone’s addiction?

WSB September 15, 2016 (3:39 pm)

A note in reference to a comment upthread: The bus-stop arrest would have been something else … I just called SPD to ask if there has been an arrest in this case, and there has not. Updating the story too.

Mark September 15, 2016 (6:36 pm)

SPD cops are frustrated also. They catch the creeps and the courts let them go.

It is illegal to camp in City parks why is this regulation not being enforced. The City leniency on illegal encampments needs to stop.

BTW Seattle’s unemployment rate is the lowest it has been in years. No excuse not to be working for a living and not stealing someone else stuff

I had a bike stolen a few months back and it cost me money to replace it, These thieves need to be caught and made to pay restitution. Heck they can conduct clean up work at the illegal campsites

Steve September 15, 2016 (9:29 pm)

http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/neither-one-of-us-can-sing-seattle-mayor-council-member-try-carpool-karaoke-in-electric-vehicle/

Your mayor and city council hard at work solving these issues! Such astute leadership!

WSB September 15, 2016 (10:03 pm)

Someone seems to be telling the city that it needs to make goofy videos. SDOT had one a few days ago. Generally distributed by Twitter.
- Mike September 16, 2016 (6:28 am)
  
  Well, with open records we should be able to see how many thousands they spent on these promotional videos. They’d have outsourced it to multiple bids. I know agencies that thrive on this crap, they love government budgets as they pay better than Microsoft and Amazon.

Elle Nell September 15, 2016 (10:40 pm)

Melissa- are you serious..?? You think calling 911 on someone doing drugs is effective. wow. Not sure how long you have lived here but I’m thinking not all that long, but if I’m wrong then you’ll understand that drug addiction is NOT a crime. Seattle has had a steady drug problem as long as I can remember,(35yrs) and we do not live in fear or act like druggies bad. They might be a family member all f$&@ed with whom you love. These folks need help because whilst they are high they commit crimes. And that is when you call 911. We need to have some understanding of our community and help it grow. Welcome to Seattle ..

melissa September 16, 2016 (8:34 am)

Elle, I know full well it’s not a crime. My desire, in calling the police, was to get help for someone whose friend was sticking a needle in her neck. I know that sometime the police are able to get someone help, if they want it, and that was my hope in this situation. And I’ve lived here a very, very long time. And I know many recovering addicts. I’m guessing that if I asked any of them if I should call 911 if I saw someone shooting up in the neck on the street in full view of passersby, they’d say yes. Please don’t assume you know someone’s intentions and motives from a brief post on a website.

Double Dub Resident September 16, 2016 (4:56 am)

Some of you may have noticed on the news all the politicians speaking about more and more treatment options. Some are even talking about a “safe haven” for Heroin addicts to do their Heroin, which go down to airport way to the methadone clinic and get a sample of what’s to come if that happens.

Yet, Bob Groeschell, who ran the drug /alcohol addiction department at Seattle Central about 5 years ago and was an addiction counselor himself told us in our first day in the Chemical Dependency /Treatment class that he didn’t want to discourage anyone, but that roughly 93% of the people who break free from their addiction do so on their own. Meaning that 7% who finally break free do so through professional treatment /counseling.

I’ve interned at a couple treatment facilities and an alcohol /drug Hotline and unfortunately the desire to be clean is often short lived or the person doesn’t even want to be there in the first place and are only there for court reasons. It’s often just a revolving door

Double Dub Resident September 16, 2016 (5:08 am)

I just want to make a slight possible correction. It may have been 87%, not 93%, which is still high, no pun intended

T Rex September 16, 2016 (8:01 am)

I actually heard a woman who works on some council for the homeless program blame the problem on high rents. Not drugs, they simply cannot find places to live that they can afford. This local government never ceases to amaze me how much in denial they are.

Most people who are homeless are homeless for a reason. They are addicts and rejects from a society that they refuse to comply with and have alienated every single ally they ever had. Period.

No bleeding heart here, not one bit.

Sorry, comment time is over.