West Seattle, Washington
25 Thursday
Four reports in Crime Watch:
SUSPECTED CAR-THEFT ATTEMPT THWARTED: SPD Blotter featured a post today about a West Seattle case from the weekend:
Officers arrested two people Saturday morning after a man saw someone trying to steal his truck from his West Seattle home.
A witness in the 7500 block of 12th Avenue SW called 911 early Saturday morning to report that a man was inside of the caller’s vehicle. The caller went on to say it appeared the suspect was attempting to steal the truck. Officer Marc Sagmoen quickly arrived and found the suspect just 75 feet from the victim’s vehicle. Officer Sagmoen stopped the 28-year-old suspect and found he was carrying a pistol in his back pocket, 2.5 grams of heroin, and shaved keys used for stealing vehicles.
Additional officers contacted a second man who was waiting for the suspect to return in a nearby car. Officers took the 29-year-old into custody for various misdemeanor warrants.
STOLEN BICYCLE: The photo and report are from Annalisa:
My husband’s bike was stolen Thursday (1/25) when our shed was broken into at our house in Highland Park. Can you please post the picture in case anyone on the blog has seen it? We reported the break-in to the police, and they suspect that the bike was used as a getaway and will probably be dumped. A number of power tools were also taken, but those are probably gone for good. The bike has sentimental value, and we would love to get it back.
FOUND BICYCLE: This photo was sent anonymously:
The bicycle was described only as having been found in Westwood and reported to police – so if it’s yours, contact them and see if you can make a match with the report you filed when it was stolen.
CAR WINDOW BROKEN: From Jeremy:
My vehicle’s rear window got smashed up in an attempted smash and grab. This happened (Sunday) morning at my townhouse, which is near Delridge and Kenyon. I had some personal property in it, but miraculously nothing got stolen.
Just wanted to put it out there so others can be on the lookout for any suspicious people or activities. If you park your vehicle outside, especially if close to or on major arterials, be sure to remove your belongings. If you see any suspicious activity in progress, be sure to call the police!
Saturday night, you’re invited to have a good time for a good cause – a big party with food, drink, and one of the coolest “photo booth” settings ever, all for the Highland Park Elementary PTA, which shares this announcement:
The Highland Park Elementary PTA is putting on our first-ever auction, and we need your help! Our event is less than a week away, February 3rd, and we’ve sold only 61 out of 150 tickets.
An energetic and resourceful group of parents got together to organize our ‘Fund the Future’ auction – featuring delicious food from Joanie’s Catering, tasty cocktails, a ton of items up for bid, games, and a DeLorean. Yes, a DeLorean! Dressing up in costume from your favorite era is encouraged (bonus points for working in the ‘Back to the Future’ theme). Need childcare? Lil’ Bug Studio is showing their support by offering a Parents’ Night Out during the event so your school-aged children can have a fun night out too.
Fundraising is an essential job of any PTA, but a significant challenge at a school where over three quarters of our students come from low-income families. While the Highland Park PTA’s budgetary needs are just a fraction of more affluent schools, we still need to raise funds so we can provide enrichment opportunities for our amazing students, support our hardworking staff, and bring all of our families into the school through events.
We just brought the Science On Wheels program to our school and every student spent a memorable day exploring astronomy. We are beginning construction on a 4-year-old project to build a playground and in two months students will have play structures for the first time. We are trying to make sure our 5th graders have the opportunity for a transformational outdoor experience at IslandWood.
Help us continue this impactful work by going to our party! You can find out more about ‘Fund the Future’ at our blog, and tickets are available for purchase at Brown Paper Tickets. If you can’t make the event, please consider helping our 5th graders get to IslandWood.
Be the lightning that powers our school family into the future!
Get your ticket(s) here.
A big road-work project near the Fauntleroy ferry dock will detour traffic – including buses – starting one week from today. The announcement just in:
The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) advises travelers that contractors will close the intersection of Fauntleroy Way SW and SW Wildwood Place, just south of the Fauntleroy Ferry Terminal, beginning Monday morning, February 5, through Monday, February 19.
Crews will replace concrete road panels at the intersection, and install a curb ramp on the northeast corner.
Between 7 a.m. on Monday, February 5 and 5 p.m. on Monday, February 19, travelers can expect:
The intersection of Fauntleroy Way SW and SW Wildwood Place to be closed in all directions.
Signed detours will be in place:
Motorists exiting the ferry terminal wanting to head southbound will be directed to go northbound on Fauntleroy Way, turn right on SW Morgan St, and right onto 35th Ave SW to head southbound to their destination.
King County Metro’s Rapid Ride C Line will be detoured along SW Trenton St and 45th Ave SW.
There will be No Parking on either side of SW Trenton St between Fauntleroy Way SW and 45th Ave SW.
There will be No Parking on the west side of 45th Ave SW for 100 feet in both directions of SW Director St.
Temporary parking restrictions are necessary for the detour bus route.
Check Metro’s Alerts & Updates page for additional bus route information.
Construction will occur Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. Saturday construction may be required to finish within the scheduled timeframe.
As reported here Friday, police were called to Chief Sealth International High School on Thursday and Friday, and we now have the report narrative that was filed after the second incident. The officer who prepared the report wrote that the original dispatch was “Fight at front dome door [at the school]. At least 5 students. No weapons.” Here’s our transcription of the report from there:
When I arrived the school was in lockdown. I responded to the dome area located in front of the school and observed several teachers standing by with (name redacted). I observed (name redacted) who was visibly upset, pacing back and forth, talking on his cell phone, with blood on his hands and nose.
I contacted (name redacted) and asked him what had occurred. (Redacted) said “they hit me.” I asked him who it was that hit him and if it was related to yesterday’s incident. (Redacted) only said “(Redacted), and they all left the building.”
It’s a popular question this week – how soon will Olympia Coffee open its new West Seattle location at 3840 California SW, first announced eight months ago? The paper’s down from the windows, and that’s what led to multiple inquiries in our inbox. After e-mail and repeated trips these past few days to see if we could find anyone there to ask, the latter tactic was finally successful this afternoon. We’re told they have one more inspection to go through, and could have an opening-date announcement as soon as tomorrow. As noted in our previous reports, though the company was founded in its namesake city, co-proprietor Sam Schroeder has deep West Seattle roots.
(WSB photo from 2013: One of the camera/”wireless mesh” installations on Alki)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Exactly five years ago today – thanks to reader questions about mysterious installations on utility poles – we broke the news of a city technology project that led to a citywide controversy: The Seattle Police Department procuring and installing surveillance cameras as part of a “wireless mesh” network, without advance notice to, or discussion with, the community.
The resulting uproar led to the cameras never being put into use, but they have remained in place on poles in West Seattle and elsewhere. Our last mention of them was almost four years ago, when we asked then-Mayor Ed Murray if they would ever be used (the installation happened while his predecessor Mike McGinn was mayor). The answer at the time wasn’t a definitive “no” but at some point evolved to that – and now, starting in West Seattle today, the wireless-mesh and camera installations are being taken down.
Megan Erb from Seattle Information Technology tells WSB that a contractor is working in West Seattle today and tomorrow to remove the 10 installations here before moving on to other parts of the city. She says the removal work actually was originally scheduled for October but various circumstances have been pushing the timeline back.
As reported in our coverage five years ago, City Councilmembers had voted in 2012 to approve receipt of the federal Homeland Security grant that paid for the cameras/network – but the plan was described only as “port security,” without a hint the cameras would be installed in recreational and residential areas such as Alki. This 2013 map showed where they were placed (with one exception – the Alki Point camera was never installed):
(2013 SPD map)
28 cameras eventually were installed in the city, as noted in our coverage of one of the public meetings held after news of the network came to light.
We have a few followup questions including what will be done with the equipment – which Erb points out is far out-of-date now anyway – and how much the removal is costing; we’ll add that information when we get it.
ADDED 3:42 PM: After publishing the original story, we went by most of the camera spots – and noticed almost all are gone already; we found a crew from contractor Prime Electric wrapping up at Admiral Way Viewpoint (photo above). The answers to our follow-up questions are in: $150,000 is budgeted for the removal work citywide, but, Erb from Seattle IT says, “We won’t know the exact cost until the project is complete. Some cameras will be easier to remove then others based on their location and how they were installed.” She verified that there is no plan to try this again with different/newer equipment. And as for what will happen to the equipment that’s being taken down: “The tentative plan is for the cameras to go to SDOT to be repurposed into their traffic camera fleet.”
(Black-capped chickadee, photographed by Robin Sinner, shared via the WSB Flickr group)
Events of note:
HALA UPZONING: The City Council’s first meeting as the Select Committee considering citywide upzoning for HALA Mandatory Housing Affordability has just begun, a few minutes later than planned because the council’s Morning Briefing meeting ran long. Watch live on Seattle Channel.
LANDMARK AGREEMENT: During the 2 pm City Council meeting, the final vote is expected on the agreement formalizing landmark protections and restrictions on the Hamm Building in the West Seattle Junction – details are in our coverage of last week’s committee vote. Watch live on the Seattle Channel if you can’t get downtown. (600 4th Ave.)
DENNY INTERNATIONAL MIDDLE SCHOOL EVENING OPEN HOUSE: Families with students expected to/interested in attending Denny International Middle School next year are invited to tonight’s Evening Open House, 6:30 pm. (2601 SW Kenyon)
IMMIGRATION DISCUSSION: A series of discussions at Fauntleroy Church continues at 6:30 pm with “From Detention to Deportation: Who Ends Up at the Northwest Detention Center and What Happens to Them?” Dinner (free-will donation) at 6:30, presentation at 7. Details in our calendar listing. (9140 California SW)
10:06 AM: In case you’re wondering about the SFD response at 5900 SW Admiral Way – they’re checking out a report of smoke in the building’s laundry room. First units on scene weren’t seeing anything from outside the building and now they’re going in.
10:09 AM: No fire. They’ve found an “overheated” spot that caused the problem, and all but one unit will be dismissed.
(Sound Transit’s West Seattle-to-Ballard ‘representative’ map – draft ‘alignment’)
The date is finalized for the next step in planning for the West Seattle (to Ballard) Sound Transit light-rail line: The first West Seattle in-person meeting, “open house” format, is set for 6:30-8:30 pm Tuesday, February 13th, at the Masonic Hall (4736 40th SW). ST also will launch an “online open house” the day before the meeting. If you’re still catching up on why you need to get involved now for a service not scheduled to start until 2030 – here’s our most-recent coverage, from the first meeting of one of two advisory groups, the Elected Leadership Group. We also just got time/location details on the first meeting of the other group, the Stakeholder Advisory Group – 5-8 pm February 8th at the Union Station boardroom (401 S. Jackson).
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
6:56 AM: Good morning! The rain’s back. No incidents currently reported in/from West Seattle, but we do have one transit alert so far – the 7:55 am Route 116 from Fauntleroy will not operate, according to Metro.
POSTSCRIPT: Another incident-free day … we report major incidents around the clock so if you hear of/see something and we haven’t reported it yet, let us know (if/when you can do so safely/legally) – 206-293-6302 text or voice, 24/7 – thank you!
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