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West Seattle Crime Watch: 2 searches late tonight
January 6, 2011 12:04 am
|      20 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle police

12:04 AM: We don’t have much information about either of these but we’re getting some inquiries, so we’ll make brief mention, and will add any information we do get – which might not be till morning: First, there’s been a police search under way on Beach Drive – including the beach itself – for a while, near Me-Kwa-Mooks and further south. We have not been able to find out what sparked the search; police seem to be looking for one person, and a K-9 team is part of the search. We have an inquiry out to the precinct. Meantime, there was an Admiral-area call about possible gunshots; scanner traffic indicates officers thought it might be fireworks, though one resident who heard it begs to differ.

12:45 AM UPDATE: No word back from the precinct but we’ve learned what was heard via scanner re: the origin of the first Beach Drive call that preceded this search – apparently an interrupted car prowl, with someone reportedly threatened with a knife when they confronted the suspect, who then bolted.

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West Seattle Crime Watch followup: Alki shooting suspect in court
January 5, 2011 3:06 pm
|      10 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news | West Seattle police

gavel.jpgWe’re at the King County Courthouse, where 59-year-old Thomas Qualls – the Alki resident accused of firing an assault rifle September 3rd at police who subsequently shot him (original WSB coverage here) – made a brief appearance this afternoon. It was meant to be an update on whether he would enter a plea or proceed to trial. He pleaded not guilty September 22nd to three counts of second-degree assault, with firearms enhancement. Lawyers told the judge today that they are still awaiting key reports, so a decision on what’s next is now pushed back a few more weeks. When last we saw Qualls in the same courtroom three months ago (WSB coverage here), he was in a wheelchair, as he recovered from a gunshot wound to the abdomen; today, Qualls was standing, with the assistance of a walker. He’s been in jail since leaving the hospital five days after the incident, held in lieu of $1 million bail. The proceedings today included a mention of “negotiations,” so it appears a plea bargain is still a possibility.

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Followup: Fauntleroy dogs’ 2nd police encounter leaves 1 dog dead
January 4, 2011 1:33 pm
|      63 COMMENTS
 |   Fauntleroy | West Seattle news | West Seattle police

We promised a followup on a story first reported here last week – police shooting one of two loose dogs in Fauntleroy. The original report has generated 60 comments, including two from someone claiming to be the dogs’ owner, writing that one of the dogs later died (not the one that was shot). We have since confirmed that with police, who have provided other details of the incident, which unfolded in two encounters with officers over the course of New Year’s Eve morning/afternoon/evening – read on: (FRIDAY UPDATE: Photo at right, sent by dogs’ owner)Read More

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‘Lunging’ dog shot by police officer in Fauntleroy
December 31, 2010 6:19 pm
|      98 COMMENTS
 |   Fauntleroy | West Seattle news | West Seattle police

Tonight we have details from police about an incident in Fauntleroy this morning (thanks to the two WSB’ers who e-mailed us to ask about it): Police were called about trouble involving two dogs, and shot one of them, according to Southwest Precinct Lt. Ron Smith. He says officers were called to the 9600 block of 48th SW (map) just before 7:30 this morning. The caller said two “aggressive pit bull dogs not known to (the) complainant” were on the porch. According to Lt. Smith, here’s what happened when officers arrived:

The dogs quickly approached a responding officer who was standing on the street. The officer backed away and attempted to place a garbage can as a barrier between him and the dogs, but one of the dogs lunged at him. The officer discharged his duty handgun, striking the dog in the face/head area. The dog fell back, rolled on the ground, then both dogs fled northbound on 48th Av SW. Officers were unable to locate either dog.

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Alki Ave. SWAT sighting reported
December 22, 2010 7:24 am
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle police

Thanks to Marty and Lia for e-mail about an early-morning SWAT sighting near Anchor Park on Alki Avenue SW (map); traffic was blocked for a while but Marty says it IS now getting through, and that the officers had announced themselves on arrival as there to serve a warrant. He also says SWAT’s gone but other police vehicles remain. We’re checking with SPD for additional info.

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Southwest Precinct plays host to Vietnamese visitors
December 14, 2010 11:58 pm
|    Comments Off on Southwest Precinct plays host to Vietnamese visitors
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle police

Five Seattle Police officers served as international goodwill ambassadors at the Southwest Precinct this morning – including the entire 3-member SWP Community Police Team. Officers Hoang, Kiehn, Mazzuca, McDaniel, and Nguyen answered questions and served as tour guides for a high-ranking 20-member visiting group from Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security. The visit began with a Q/A session in the precinct’s community room; Officer Hoang, from the downtown-headquartered West Precinct, did most of the interpreting. The questions were mostly operational: How are officers hired? What are the ranks between officer and precinct commander? What are the differences between the precincts? We wish we could report the details in those answers as well as the questions – but most of the former were given directly in Vietnamese. The ministry is accountable for not only “regular” police operations, but

The Public Security Ministry is accountable for an internal-security army as well as regular law enforcers. Before moving on to tour the precinct building, the visitors presented their hosts with gifts – art in honor of the recent celebration of the 1000th anniversary of Vietnam’s capital:

And a plaque bearing the logo of their ministry.

The capital, Hanoi, is where most of the visitors are based, according to a South Seattle Community College liaison who was touring with them. According to Officer McDaniel, their Puget Sound visit included stops at Bellevue PD, Microsoft, Washington State Patrol, SeaTac Airport Security, Kent Correctional Facility, and the Seattle Emergency Preparedness Unit. They’re scheduled to leave this area on Thursday.

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Staying safer this holiday season
December 7, 2010 7:42 pm
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | Safety | West Seattle news | West Seattle police

The Southwest Precinct sends holiday greetings and a wish for a (continued) low-crime season. Toward that end, precinct commander Capt. Steve Paulsen asked if we would share an SPD-provided list of holiday-specific crime-prevention tips with you. Even if you’re sure you’ve heard them all before – take another look. You’ll find the full list after the jump:

Read More

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Seattle Police launch car-finding tweets: @getyourcarback
December 1, 2010 2:04 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle police

We are at the Seattle Police Department‘s West Precinct, where SPD has just officially announced its Twitter account to find stolen cars – @getyourcarback. More after the briefing.

2:45 PM UPDATE: After the briefing, media reps were ushered up to the 911 center to see 27-year SPD veteran communications supervisor Gary Raymond send out the first two tweets (that’s him in the photo above, added 2:56 pm). They will NOT include location information – media unit Sgt. Sean Whitcomb says that could dissuade people from being on the lookout, since a stolen vehicle could be taken far outside the theft area fairly quickly. The full news release announcing the program is on SPD Blotter. We’ll add the stream of tweets to the WSB Crime Watch page as soon as possible, so you can check them even if you don’t want to use Twitter. SPD says that if this works out, they’ll consider expanding their use of Twitter – it could provide instant information on a host of situations, including road closures resulting from police-involved incidents. Until now, the only tweeting that SPD was doing came from the media unit via @SeattlePD – usually links to SPD Blotter reports, with the occasional breaking-news note. The stolen-car tweets will NOT be repeated on @SeattlePD – so if you want to get them from Twitter, you need to follow @getyourcarback. 2 more notes: They will not tweet when a car’s been found – if you see one you saw on Twitter, just go ahead and call 911; if it turns out it’s no longer listed as stolen, they’ll be able to tell. And do not tweet back with information about sightings – CALL 911.

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West Seattle Crime Watch: SPD to fight car theft with Twitter
November 29, 2010 6:10 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news | West Seattle police

Seattle Police are about to add a new tactic to crack car-theft cases: This Wednesday, they’ll “unveil how social networking, specifically Twitter, will be employed to combat auto theft and reunite victims with their stolen cars,” promises their announcement inviting local media to attend the unveiling. Currently, most of SPD’s Twitter activity involves links to new updates on SPD Blotter, though they occasionally send updates on breaking news. The auto-theft announcement is set for Wednesday afternoon at the West Precinct; as with most major stories, we’ll tweet about it (with updates here too).

ADDED 6:36 PM: Another new anti-crime campaign, just reported by our friends at KING 5 – signs to put in your car to say “nothing to steal.” If you want to print one yourself, the link’s on the sidebar on this page.

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The WSBeat: On the run but not on the run; laptop grabber…
November 17, 2010 1:30 am
|      15 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle police | WSBeat

EDITOR’S NOTE: Though some categories of crime are down, that doesn’t mean local police aren’t busy. This is the seventh weekly installment of this new WSB feature, and now it has a name. If nothing else, some of the summaries may answer questions you had about police responses you saw in the past week or so …

By Megan Sheppard
On the WSBeat, for West Seattle Blog

From reports on cases handled recently by Southwest Precinct officers:

*Around 6 p.m. Saturday, a call came in to 911 about a man running near 35th and Juneau with a large knife. Officers quickly found the man, who was fairly easy to spot, seeing that he was dressed in fatigues and carrying a machete. He was handcuffed and taken to the SW Precinct. An investigation soon showed that he was part of a group of military aficionados engaged in a scavenger hunt through the neighborhood.

*After placing an online ad to sell her computer (a MacBook Pro), a woman agreed to meet a potential buyer on Saturday evening at a fast-food restaurant at 35th SW/Avalon. As she pulled the computer from her bag so that he could examine it, the “potential buyer” grabbed it from her grasp and fled in a large dark-colored sedan driven by a woman.

(8 more summaries ahead:)Read More

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SPD Mounted Unit @ Westwood: Last time we’ll see this?
November 13, 2010 5:44 pm
|      9 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle police | Westwood

Thanks to West Seattle writer (and world-traveling volunteer!) Lori Hinton for sharing this photo taken this afternoon at the Westwood Village Bank of America. We’ve seen teams from the West Seattle-headquartered Seattle Police Mounted Patrol at Westwood before – Becky shared a photo last February; a year earlier, we caught a photo at Westwood’s then-WaMu. SPD has told us they bring the horses to areas like this to get used to working in traffic. But now, as reported here more than a month ago, the Mounted Patrol is slated to be disbanded as part of the new budget – and while not all the fine print is finalized, we haven’t seen/heard anything indicating the mayor’s original proposal will change.

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The WSBeat: Telltale tire; sleeping suspect; drug necklace
November 9, 2010 11:12 pm
|      9 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news | West Seattle police | WSBeat

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the sixth weekly installment of this new WSB feature, and now it has a name! If you missed the explanation/introduction with which we prefaced the series, you can see it here.

By Megan Sheppard
On the WSBeat, for West Seattle Blog

From reports on cases handled recently by Southwest Precinct officers:

*On Wednesday around 3 a.m., officers were dispatched to 26th SW and Hudson, where citizens reported that a man was driving up and down the street with a flat tire and repeatedly trying to start the already running vehicle. Officers found the abandoned car in the 7000 block of 21st SW (complete with a smoking engine, shredded tire and with fresh damage to a fender and door).

The registered owner lived a couple of blocks away, so officers went to the home to continue their investigation. Smelling strongly of alcohol, the owner insisted that his car was with friends: “I’m not supposed to be driving because of my three DUIs.” He denied he had been driving the vehicle, and went back inside.

A while later, the owner showed up as officers were arranging to have the car towed. (Interestingly, he knew just where to find the car, even though the officers hadn’t disclosed its location.) He demanded the officers’ badge numbers before leaving and then spent several minutes—to no avail—trying to persuade the tow truck driver to simply drop the vehicle off around the corner.

(Four more summaries, including the case of the sleeping suspect, after the jump:)Read More

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Seattle Police awards: Local officers honored; local student speaks
November 7, 2010 9:32 am
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle police

One year after the murder of Seattle Police Officer Tim Brenton, Saturday night’s Seattle Police Foundation awards banquet honored the West Seattle High School graduate posthumously, as well as honoring the survivor of the deadly ambush and many SPD personnel who played a role in the response and the investigation. Other officers and SPD staff with West Seattle ties were honored in the annual awards event too – read on for photos and details:Read More

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Rock jam at Bamboo for Dine Out to Remember Our Fallen
November 5, 2010 9:16 am
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   How to help | West Seattle news | West Seattle police

(WSB photos and video by Ellen Cedergreen)
Serious rock jam at Bamboo Bar and Grill last night as part of Dine Out to Remember Our Fallen. (Here’s our earlier report, after we met with organizers at Puerto Vallarta in The Junction.) Members of Queensryche, Candlebox and Lotus Crush took the stage – their instruments overwhelmed their vocals in our video, but you still get the idea:

We’re waiting this morning to hear the regional total for the benefit to raise money for the Lakewood Police Officers’ Memorial, in honor of the four officers murdered a year ago this month. At Bamboo, the turnout included Lakewood and Tukwila officers as well as SPD – the next photo includes the two we spoke with earlier in the evening, retired detective Frank Kampsen, director of the Behind the Badge Foundation, and Officer Raleigh Evans:

From the stage, musician Kelly Gray offered a toast to honor the four slain Lakewood officers.

He expressed appreciation for the work of police officers everywhere as well as gratitude for the fact that they “put their lives on the line for us every day.” If you couldn’t join in last night’s fundraiser, either at Bamboo or any of the participating restaurants, you can still donate to the Lakewood Police Independent Guild, which is raising money – there’s a PayPal button on the right sidebar.

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Happening now: Dine Out to Remember Our Fallen
November 4, 2010 5:59 pm
|      8 COMMENTS
 |   How to help | West Seattle news | West Seattle police

Look for the red, white and blue balloons all over West Seattle tonight – like the ones outside Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor) in our photo – they signify participation in the Dine Out to Remember Our Fallen fundraiser that’s under way right now. Here’s what it’s all about:

In the waiting area for Puerto Vallarta in The Junction, you’ll see that rendering of the police memorial planned for Lakewood, where four officers were gunned down almost a year ago. Tonight’s fundraiser is meant to raise money to bring it closer to reality. Helping lead local efforts, retired Seattle Police Detective Frank Kampsen, director of the Behind the Badge Foundation, and Southwest Precinct Officer Raleigh Evans:

They explained why West Seattle participation is so high:

Meantime, check out this list of participants – get out sometime tonight, and help make the memorial happen. The night’s biggest event will be emceed by Officer Evans: A rock ‘n’ roll jam at Bamboo Bar and Grill on Alki starting at 8 pm. Details here; more later!

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West Seattle Crime Watch followup: Coffee-shop-heist arrest
November 3, 2010 6:12 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news | West Seattle police

Followup tonight on one of the cases summarized in WSB contributing reporter Megan Sheppard‘s police-files roundup published early today: Southwest Precinct detectives have arrested a suspect in the coffee-shop robbery/lewd conduct case; that’s the word from Detective Brian Ballew. The suspect is in the King County Jail; we’re looking for more information about him and will add anything we find.

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Seattle city budget: Police Department up for discussion tomorrow
November 1, 2010 2:47 pm
|    Comments Off on Seattle city budget: Police Department up for discussion tomorrow
 |   Crime | Safety | West Seattle news | West Seattle police | West Seattle politics

Three weeks till the Seattle City Council is expected to take its final vote on next year’s budget, with whatever changes they make to the original proposal that Mayor Mike McGinn presented five weeks ago. Next Budget Committee meeting is tomorrow – and one of the agenda items involves reviewing specific parts of the Police Department’s budget, including one that’s been of particular interest in communities including West Seattle – the Crime Prevention Coordinators’ status. The mayor’s proposal would eliminate three of the seven coordinators citywide; those coordinators are civilian employees who handle a wide variety of programs dealing directly with the public, including Block Watch and the annual Night Out. If you have something to say about this (or any other aspect of the city budget), this page includes a variety of ways to do that; meantime, tomorrow’s all-day budget hearing is scheduled to focus on SPD at about 3:15 pm (here’s the all-day agenda).

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Video: Memorial dedicated in honor of SPD Officer Tim Brenton
October 31, 2010 10:08 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle police

One year after the murder of Seattle Police Officer Tim Brenton – a West Seattle High School graduate – at 29th and Yesler in Leschi, hundreds of people gathered this afternoon to turn the site into a tribute to a hero, as a community-created memorial was dedicated. Officer Brenton’s widow Lisa was there with their children, including son Quinn:

The occasion was personal, not just for the family but for the Leschi neighbors who came together to make the memorial reality – and yet also formal:

Among the SPD leadership on hand, Seattle Police Chief John Diaz remembered Officer Brenton as the kind of hero we need more of:

West Seattle was represented at the dedication:

From left, Southwest Precinct Advisory Council chair Pete Spalding, SW Precinct commander Capt. Steve Paulsen, and his predecessor, now-West Precinct commander Capt. Joe Kessler. We also saw teams from the SPD Mounted Unit, which is based in Highland Park (and facing an uncertain future because of proposed budget cuts):

Also covering this afternoon’s event, our partners at the Seattle Times – you can see their report here, and fellow neighborhood-news site Central District News (see their story and photos here).

SIDE NOTE: Not specifically related to this project, but in a similar spirit – the Behind the Badge Foundation, an organization set up to help families of law enforcers killed in the line of duty, has a fundraising event this Thursday night, Dine Out to Remember Our Fallen. A percentage of proceeds from participating venues will go to BBF. Among them, according to the event’s Facebook page, are Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor), Salty’s on Alki, Elliott Bay Brewery, Puerto Vallarta, Christo’s on Alki, Pegasus Pizza, Talarico’s, and Brickyard BBQ, plus there’s a special benefit concert that nights at Bamboo Bar and Grill. The list of participants also includes Liberty Bell Printing in The Junction as a sponsor.

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West Seattle Blockwatch Captains Network: How/why to call 911
October 27, 2010 8:01 am
|    Comments Off on West Seattle Blockwatch Captains Network: How/why to call 911
 |   Safety | West Seattle news | West Seattle police

From last night’s meeting of the West Seattle Blockwatch Captains Network: Advice you can use even if you’re not a Block Watch captain – how and why to call 911. The advice came from an expert: Southwest Precinct Community Police Team Officer Jonathan Kiehn. His explanation included the best thing you can do once the dispatcher answers the phone. Read on:Read More

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From the police files: Blue-light special, and more
October 27, 2010 4:32 am
|      26 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle police

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the fourth weekly installment of this new WSB feature – if you missed the explanation/introduction with which we prefaced the first one, you can see it here.

By Megan Sheppard
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

From reports on cases handled recently by Southwest Precinct officers:

*A Westwood-area resident had lots of rationales for why his black BMW had a set of blue lights on the top portion of windshield—lights that looked suspiciously like those that might be used in an undercover police car. (An officer had pulled the man over after seeing the lights activated.) The officer told him that although he was not writing a citation, he was writing a report with the driver’s name and license plate in case there are problems or cases of “mistaken identity” in the future.

*Early Friday, 911 operators received noise complaints about three vehicles loaded with people in the 4400 block of 26th SW. Four people in two vehicles were identified and released. In the third vehicle, two of the three people inside refused to identify themselves and became hostile with officers. It might be because the two were wanted on warrants: The driver was wanted on a $500 King County warrant for hit and run and was turned over to the custody of Renton police. His passenger had two warrants —$1,100 from Renton and $1,500 from Des Moines — for failure to appear on charges of driving with a suspended license. He was booked into King County Jail.

7 more reports ahead:Read More

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Burglary suspect nabbed; groper sought
October 20, 2010 11:53 am
|      8 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | Southwest Precinct Crime Prevention Council | West Seattle news | West Seattle police

At last night’s West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting, Southwest Precinct commander Capt. Steve Paulsen mentioned the ongoing search for a suspect believed to be responsible for at least half a dozen recent local burglaries. Just got word from Lt. Ron Rasmussen that the suspect is now in custody:

Through the excellent work of the Southwest Precinct Detectives and Patrol Officers, we arrested a juvenile male last night who we believe is responsible for the series of burglaries that have occurred in West Seattle area over the past couple of weeks. The investigation continues as detectives continue to follow-up on leads developed during the investigation.

Capt. Paulsen said last night that a search warrant had been served even before the suspect’s arrest, and stolen property had been recovered. Meantime, he also said police are actively looking for a suspect in connection with two recent “indecent liberties” incidents involving females walking alone, and he suggested extra precautions – read on:Read More

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West Seattle police: More leadership changes at Southwest Precinct
October 19, 2010 8:40 pm
|    Comments Off on West Seattle police: More leadership changes at Southwest Precinct
 |   Southwest Precinct Crime Prevention Council | West Seattle news | West Seattle police

Tonight’s West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting was the first one since Capt. Steve Paulsen‘s return to the Southwest Precinct as its new commander. And he took the occasion to announce changes in the ranks of those who directly report to him – Lt. Norm James, who had been SW Precinct Operations Lieutenant – the position Capt. Paulsen held until a 10-month tour of duty downtown prior to his promotion – is now at the West Precinct with Capt. Joe Kessler, the former SW commander. His help is vital “with the challenges they’re facing downtown,” Capt. Paulsen explained. The new SW Operations Lieutenant – second-in-command for the precinct – will be Lt. Pierre Davis, coming from SPD’s Traffic section, arriving in West Seattle around November 10th. And the lineup of watch commanders will change, too – Lt. Ron Rasmussen is moving from days to mornings, Lt. Ron Smith is moving from nights to days, and Lt. Alan Williams is moving from the West Precinct to oversee nights. (According to this item on the SPD website, Lt. Williams is a retired U.S. Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel.) Capt. Paulsen says this is all also concurrent with some lieutenant-shuffling citywide, which he says tends to happen every few years. More from the WSCPC meeting in a bit.

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More from the police-report files: ‘Break-in’ = break-out, and more
October 12, 2010 11:50 pm
|      28 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news | West Seattle police | WSBeat

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the second weekly installment of this new WSB feature – if you missed the explanation/introduction with which we prefaced the first one, you’ll find it here.

By Megan Sheppard
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

From reports on cases handled recently by Southwest Precinct officers:

*A Fauntleroy woman returned home to discover one of her dogs missing and a bedroom window open. Initially concerned about a break-in, she and officers ultimately decided that a “break-out” was the likelier scenario: There were no signs of forced entry, and the dog (later found 11 blocks away) had apparently seized the opportunity to re-enact The Great Escape by jumping onto the bed and out of the window.

*Around 7 a.m. on October 5th, officers woke a homeless man who was sleeping on a Junction bus stop bench. As part of the information-gathering, they asked if they could search his backpack. The contents — none of which were in his name — might have warranted a round of the “12 Days of Christmas”: Five credit cards, three IDs, two drivers licenses, one passport, several blank checks, one crack pipe, rock cocaine … and a meeeeeethh-loaded syringe.

Seven more reports ahead:Read More

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