CRIME WATCH FOLLOWUP: Stolen West Seattle ATM found; where the forklift came from

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(WSB photo from Sunday morning)

Continuing to pursue several West Seattle Crime Watch followups, we just got an update on Sunday morning’s ATM theft at the 44th/Edmunds Chase drive-up in The Junction: Seattle Police spokesperson Det. Mark Jamieson tells us the stolen ATM was “recovered (Monday) morning at a location in the South Precinct,” so that precinct is now handling the followup investigation. He also provided the narrative from Sunday morning’s original theft report. The report says that the ATM was already gone when police arrived, responding to the 911 call “that a forklift was being used to steal an ATM machine.” Police were told that the ATM was “loaded into a Penske moving truck which left in an unknown direction.” The report says the forklift – which, as we reported Sunday, was left behind – had been stolen from a construction site in the 4800 block of Fauntleroy Way SW (which would be about four blocks east of the theft location), and was eventually taken back to that site by private tow after it was checked for prints and other evidence. At the time the report was filed, police were working to get access to the camera that potentially had video of the theft. Meantime, as we added yesterday to Sunday’s report, Chase says replacement plans are already in progress and the ATM location should be back in business by the end of the month.

Alki Resident October 10, 2017 (12:05 pm)

Yes, hurry up and replace it so it can happen again.

WSB October 10, 2017 (12:18 pm)

Well, the US Bank ATM was replaced and it hasn’t happened again there … in the nine months since (nor at the SSC ATM stolen via pickup truck last year). They seem to improve security/technology as time goes by. I was actually surprised to get that reply from Chase; the human teller who used to handle transactions from the other lane there was removed quite some time back, and the building there goes unused, so it could have been an opportunity to just shut the whole thing down and do something else with the site, but maybe the company’s not ready for that. Checking King County Parcel Viewer, the site’s not even owned by Chase – it was sold to private owners by Seafirst Bank in 1993 – TR
- West Sea Neighbor October 11, 2017 (12:43 pm)
  
  My understanding is that the person who owns the former bank building fronting California also owns the Chase lot behind it across from True Value.
  - WSB October 11, 2017 (12:54 pm)
    
    It would have all been part of the old Seafirst branch, and that is who sold it to the people listed as current owners, 24 years ago, so that would make sense – it would be on King County Parcel Viewer, which I don’t have time to go back into right this moment.
heyalki October 10, 2017 (1:49 pm)

I get your frustration. West Seattle seems to be getting so much worse these days.
- JVP October 11, 2017 (12:34 pm)
  
  I don’t feel like it’s getting worse at all. Our news reporting is getting better, so my hunch is that we know just know about every little thing that goes on.

Franci October 10, 2017 (12:30 pm)

Hmmm I wonder how much revenue it generates for them. I use it and as a non-Chase user, I pay the ATM fee, which are reimbursed by my bank. Its a handy, central location that is fairly easy to use, I would hate to see it go away.

Eric1 October 10, 2017 (4:17 pm)

Did they say if the perps got the money out of the machine? I recall the geniuses from the college and the US Bank thefts didn’t get in so it looks like these guys are underestimating the skills required to crack a safe. Perhaps they are thinking that the third time is the charm?

momosmom October 10, 2017 (4:58 pm)

Are these the people that did it? Oh wait maybe not…they got away with the money right?

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WSB October 10, 2017 (5:37 pm)

I don’t know what condition the ATM was in when found. I did verify that no one has been arrested so far.

pugetsoundcrab@comcast.net October 10, 2017 (7:45 pm)

“The report says that the ATM was already gone when police arrived, responding to the 911 call “that a forklift was being used to steal an ATM machine.” Police were told that the ATM was “loaded into a Penske moving truck which left in an unknown direction.” Wow, how long did the SPD response take???

WSB October 10, 2017 (7:50 pm)

Don’t know, and also don’t know at what point in the operation someone saw it and called.

WSGuy October 11, 2017 (7:02 am)

It sure does seem like a majority of (in-lobby) bank robberies and ATM thefts that have occurred in Seattle over the past 10+ years… have occurred in West Seattle. We have what, at least 2 or 3 a year?

Is it because there are so few cops cruising our streets, due to the low incident rate around here, so it’s less risky for thieves? Or slow response speed?

Is it because West Seattle is so easy to escape from after driving off from the bank with the loot (or with the machine)?

Or is it just my imagination? Or maybe because I read the WSB so often that these are the ones I am most aware of?

WSB October 11, 2017 (7:15 am)

The latter. We haven’t even had a bank robbery here in more than a year. They are rare. They are also high-priority incidents for SPD so even when one happens in another precinct, it’s a bulletin across the frequencies, so I know others have happened around the city.

As for ATM thefts, the three in the past year and a half here are an aberration. Don’t know the rate of those around the city because unless they turn up on SPD Blotter (which even this didn’t) they aren’t necessarily covered.

David Johansson October 11, 2017 (1:55 pm)

How about adhering a locator chip somewhere on these machines to nab the criminals? Get smarter than these losers.

alki_2008 October 11, 2017 (7:26 pm)

Chase is fine with replacing that ATM, even though there is another Chase ATM/branch a few blocks away, with zero elevation gain.

Yet, they didn’t replace the ATM outside the Alki Starbucks, where the next closest Chase ATM is at California/Admiral – 1.5 miles away with 300+ feet of elevation gain.

I’m still frustrated by their decision to not replace that Chase ATM (by Alki Starbucks).