Dear Community Friends –
Neighborhood Revitalization
Our last newsletter gave you information about different Earth Day events and things you and your neighbors could do to make your neighborhood appear cared for. Further, we discussed how the appearance of a neighborhood affects the crime in that neighborhood. In essence, we discussed the “Broken Window” theory. Made popular by the work of James Q. Wilson and George Kelling, the Broken Window theory maintains that there is a strong relationship between order/maintenance issues in a geographic area and the level of crime that occurs in that area. If a neighborhood looks as though no one is caring for it, (abandoned cars, broken windows, graffiti, trash), then it becomes a magnet for increasing levels of anti-social behavior.
Neighborhoods that are cohesive and respond quickly to small changes in their environment have a reduced risk of larger crime problems developing. Neighborhoods can and have turned things around. Some successful strategies are:
• Prompt removal of abandoned vehicles.
• Fast clean up of illegally dumped items, litter and spilled garbage.
• Immediate paint out of graffiti (within 48 hours).
• Providing positive activities for teens to gather so they don’t “hang out” on the corner.
• Fresh paint on buildings.
• Keeping sidewalks and gutters clean.
• Continual maintenance of vacant properties.
Following up on those themes, we wanted to let you know about a program whereby neighborhood groups can apply for funding to undertake neighborhood revitalization efforts.
Strong Neighborhood Action Program (SNAP) Grants
The SNAP grant is a program of the NW Insurance Council (formerly the Washington Insurance Council), a Seattle and Tacoma Weed & Seed partner since 1995.
SNAP provides grants to neighborhood groups in federally designated Weed & Seed neighborhoods in the Seattle-Tacoma area. The program empowers communities to create change by taking a leadership role in the development and implementation of neighborhood restoration and community building projects.
NW Insurance Council awards $75,000 per year in SNAP grants to neighborhood groups for a variety of community initiated projects designed to increase safety, reduce crime and improve the quality of life in Weed & Seed neighborhoods. Grants are for neighborhood restoration and community building projects. The strongest applications address both areas, and apply the “broken window” theory in reducing crime.
The timeline for applications is:
• Preliminary Project Descriptions are due May 31st
• Final Applications are due July 31st.
Applicant groups must have Bylaws or Articles of incorporation. The applicant's Bylaws or Articles of Incorporation are due at the time of the Preliminary Project Description. Determination regarding eligibility will be made prior to the applicant being asked to submit a final proposal.
If you have questions about the SNAP grant application process or would like to discuss project ideas, contact Caryn Badgett, Grants Director of the NW Insurance Council at (206) 624-3330 or 1-800-664-4942 or email at caryn.badgett@nwinsurance.org.
Until Next time, Take Care and Stay Safe!
Mark Solomon, South Precinct Crime Prevention
Friday, April 28, 2006
Thursday, April 13, 2006
Police search for rape suspect near Beacon Hill (4/13/06)
Police search for rape suspect near Beacon Hill
Seattle Times staff
Seattle police are searching for a man who reportedly raped a woman
today in a wooded area southeast of the Interstate 90-Interstate 5
interchange.
Two plain-clothed police detectives were driving in the area about 10:20
this morning when the woman ran up to them and said she had just been
raped. She said the assailant, in his 40s, had held a silver handgun to
her head. The woman was taken to Harborview Medical Center for
treatment.
Police have been searching in an area known as The Jungle, a densely
wooded strip of land at the base of Beacon Hill.
April 12, 2006 - community newsletter post
Dear Community Friends –
Spring Clean 2006
It’s time again for community, school and business volunteers to sign up for Spring Clean, Seattle’s premier cleanup event. Seattle’s 20th Annual Spring Clean runs April 1st – June 4th 2006. Past Spring Clean activities included painting out graffiti, picking up litter and illegally dumped materials, stenciling storm drains, cleaning school yards, removing invasive plants in watersheds and planting trees.
The City of Seattle supports these neighborhood efforts with bags, free disposal, tools, and help with project design, publicity, and recruitment. Spring Clean information, including neighborhood cleanup activities and sign-up packets, is available by calling 206.233.7187 or visiting http://www.seattle.gov/util.
Spring Clean in Southeast
While there are many events happening throughout the city, we want to bring your attention to a few happening in Southeast Seattle this Saturday, April 15, 2006:
Hillman City – meet at 9:00 am at VelDyke Realty, 5500 Rainier Ave S. Mayor Nickels will be in attendance at 9:30am to address those gathered. Bring work gloves. Snacks and tools will be provided. For more information, contact Diane Skwiercz, 725-5791.
Rainier & Othello – Meet at 9:30am at the Shell station at Rainier Ave S. and S. Othello Street. Bring work gloves, shovels, trash pickup tools, and snacks. Contact Mona Lee, 721-5672 for more information.
Rainier Beach – meet at 9:00 am at the Henderson Plaza of the Mapes Creek Walkway (across the street from Rainier Beach High School). For more information, contact Barb Biondo 323-9671.
Additionally, the Sunnyview Heights Triangle neighborhood is hosting a neighborhood work party on Saturday, April 22, 2006. They are gathering at 9am at the intersection of 39th Ave S. & Carkeek Dr. S. Contact Chris Morrow, 723-8179, for more details.
Why It Is Important
In my career as a Crime Prevention Coordinator, I have come to notice a few things. One of them is this: Neighborhoods that look like people care tend to have less crime than those neighborhoods that give the appearance that people don’t care. Take a moment to think about our communities and what they look like. In those areas where it seems people don’t care, how “safe” do you feel? When you think of a “bad” part of town, how does that part of town look to you? Now think about parts of our community where you feel safe. How do they look? Where do you think criminals are more likely to want to hang out: in an area where people are out and about, engaged in their community and likely to report suspicious or illegal activity, or; in an area that is graffiti-ridden, trash is strewn around, vegetation is overgrown, abandoned cars line the streets, and no one interacts with each other or reports anything to anyone? In the latter neighborhood, what message is being sent?
It doesn’t matter if the neighborhood – or block – is in Columbia City, Phinney Ridge or Madison Valley. What matters is that people who live and work there show they actively care about their community. They do that by picking up litter (and by not littering themselves), removing graffiti as soon as possible, maintaining their properties, and removing abandoned vehicles.
This is only a partial list of things people can do to show they care about their community. You can show you care by participating in one of the planned Spring Clean events, or you can get together with your neighbors and do your own.
As I have previously written, “Neighborhoods have the level of crime that they tolerate.” How a neighborhood looks shows the level of care of those in the neighborhood. It also sends the message as to how much crime they will tolerate. What message do you want to send? Think about it.
Until Next time, Take Care and Stay Safe!
Mark Solomon, South Precinct Crime Prevention
Spring Clean 2006
It’s time again for community, school and business volunteers to sign up for Spring Clean, Seattle’s premier cleanup event. Seattle’s 20th Annual Spring Clean runs April 1st – June 4th 2006. Past Spring Clean activities included painting out graffiti, picking up litter and illegally dumped materials, stenciling storm drains, cleaning school yards, removing invasive plants in watersheds and planting trees.
The City of Seattle supports these neighborhood efforts with bags, free disposal, tools, and help with project design, publicity, and recruitment. Spring Clean information, including neighborhood cleanup activities and sign-up packets, is available by calling 206.233.7187 or visiting http://www.seattle.gov/util.
Spring Clean in Southeast
While there are many events happening throughout the city, we want to bring your attention to a few happening in Southeast Seattle this Saturday, April 15, 2006:
Hillman City – meet at 9:00 am at VelDyke Realty, 5500 Rainier Ave S. Mayor Nickels will be in attendance at 9:30am to address those gathered. Bring work gloves. Snacks and tools will be provided. For more information, contact Diane Skwiercz, 725-5791.
Rainier & Othello – Meet at 9:30am at the Shell station at Rainier Ave S. and S. Othello Street. Bring work gloves, shovels, trash pickup tools, and snacks. Contact Mona Lee, 721-5672 for more information.
Rainier Beach – meet at 9:00 am at the Henderson Plaza of the Mapes Creek Walkway (across the street from Rainier Beach High School). For more information, contact Barb Biondo 323-9671.
Additionally, the Sunnyview Heights Triangle neighborhood is hosting a neighborhood work party on Saturday, April 22, 2006. They are gathering at 9am at the intersection of 39th Ave S. & Carkeek Dr. S. Contact Chris Morrow, 723-8179, for more details.
Why It Is Important
In my career as a Crime Prevention Coordinator, I have come to notice a few things. One of them is this: Neighborhoods that look like people care tend to have less crime than those neighborhoods that give the appearance that people don’t care. Take a moment to think about our communities and what they look like. In those areas where it seems people don’t care, how “safe” do you feel? When you think of a “bad” part of town, how does that part of town look to you? Now think about parts of our community where you feel safe. How do they look? Where do you think criminals are more likely to want to hang out: in an area where people are out and about, engaged in their community and likely to report suspicious or illegal activity, or; in an area that is graffiti-ridden, trash is strewn around, vegetation is overgrown, abandoned cars line the streets, and no one interacts with each other or reports anything to anyone? In the latter neighborhood, what message is being sent?
It doesn’t matter if the neighborhood – or block – is in Columbia City, Phinney Ridge or Madison Valley. What matters is that people who live and work there show they actively care about their community. They do that by picking up litter (and by not littering themselves), removing graffiti as soon as possible, maintaining their properties, and removing abandoned vehicles.
This is only a partial list of things people can do to show they care about their community. You can show you care by participating in one of the planned Spring Clean events, or you can get together with your neighbors and do your own.
As I have previously written, “Neighborhoods have the level of crime that they tolerate.” How a neighborhood looks shows the level of care of those in the neighborhood. It also sends the message as to how much crime they will tolerate. What message do you want to send? Think about it.
Until Next time, Take Care and Stay Safe!
Mark Solomon, South Precinct Crime Prevention