In West Seattle Crime Watch tonight:

PROWLING REPORT: From an Arbor Heights resident:

Have (an attempted) break-in that happened this morning at 11:30 am … Has been reported to police with video from our doorbell camera, etc.

The vehicle (was) a red 1991 Ford F-150.

The guy approached the house because driveway was empty, and was trying to pry the doorbell camera off when I confronted him.

SPD incident # is 2020-116947.

BURGLARY PREVENTION: Also today, Southwest Precinct Crime Prevention Coordinator Jennifer Danner sent this advice:

Even though many Seattle area residents are Staying Home to Stay Healthy, we still see residential burglaries occurring throughout Seattle. There are some trends worth noting. In some instances, suspects peered through windows, saw something close by that they wanted, then smashed the window and grabbed the item without entering the home. In other instances, burglars may be watching to see when people leave the house, (maybe going to the store for a short while), make entry, then leave quickly.

We wanted to offer these tips to help reduce burglaries in your neighborhood:

Lock your doors, even when home

Lock your windows or at least limit how far they can be opened

Don’t leave valuables in close proximity of a window

Answer the door; let people know you are home. “Answering” the door does not mean “opening” the door.

Always know who is on the other side of your door before you open it, even if you are expecting someone

While home, take moments to go outside and put eyes on the street; check out what’s happening on the street

When you see neighbors out and about, wave and say hi. When you see people you don’t know out and about on your street, wave and say hi. Send the message that you are a neighborhood that cares and that you are paying attention

Do not call 911 to report people being outside; remember that Police are focused on criminal behavior, not people who want to get out of the house for a bit (Please contact us directly if you have questions about how to report anyone violating the ‘Stay-At-Home’ order)

Stay connected with your Block Watch neighbors and help keep an eye on your neighbors’ place and ask they do the same for you

If you live in an apartment or condo make sure to check on your car daily to ensure it is secure.

It’s a good time to also use your Block Watch connections to see if any neighbors need help or could use a few items from the grocery store.

If you have prevention/safety questions, jennifer.danner@seattle.gov is her contact info.