Community Meeting Regarding Registered Sex Offenders
The Sexual Assault Unit of the Seattle Police Department will be holding a community meeting on Thursday, July 30th at the New Holly Gathering Hall (7054 32nd Ave S., Seattle, WA 98108) from 7-9pm. The purpose of this meeting is to provide the community information regarding registered sex offenders that reside in the south Seattle community.
Please join your neighbors at this meeting. You will get information regarding community notification, how to check for registered offenders in your area, get safety and prevention information, and have an opportunity to ask questions of our sexual assault detectives.
Community Meeting Regarding Registered Sex Offenders
Thursday, July 30, 2009, 7-9pm
New Holly Gathering hall
7054 32nd Ave S Seattle
Doors open at 6:30pm; program begins at 7pm
For questions or for more information, please contact The Seattle Police Department Sexual Assault Unit at 206.684.5575. Please advise if you need interpretation services.
Captain Les Liggins, South Precinct Commander
Mark Solomon, Crime Prevention Coordinator
Monday, July 20, 2009
Thursday, July 02, 2009
Night Out Against Crime Tuesday August 4th
Join us! Mark your calendar.
More details to follow...
NEW EMAIL FOR CONTACTING THIS BLOG MANAGER:
beacon@leemonkey.com
Sorry for the inconvenice.
Sincerely, Lee
More details to follow...
NEW EMAIL FOR CONTACTING THIS BLOG MANAGER:
beacon@leemonkey.com
Sorry for the inconvenice.
Sincerely, Lee
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
A few TIPS, phone numbers...for inclement weather situations
It is cold out, so here is some helpful information when dealing with extremely low temps:
1. Do not leave water running in unoccupied buildings.
2. Please don’t use hair dryers to thaw frozen pipes!
3. Know where the main water shut-off valve inside your home is located and how to shut it off. Contact Seattle Public Utilities at (206) 386-1800 for questions about shutting off water mains and the tools needed to do so.
4. If a water pipe breaks, immediately close the main shut-off valve to stop excessive flooding. If you cannot turn off the main shut-off valve, Seattle Public Utilities customers can call (206) 386-1800 and a crew will turn off the water at the meter for a standard service charge.
5. If an inlet or street drain appears to be blocked by snow or debris, try to safely clear a channel to provide a path for the runoff. If the drain cannot be cleared, or if the cause of the blockage or flooding is uncertain, call Seattle Public Utilities at (206) 386-1800.
6. Melting/run-off can cause landslides...Seattle property owners with structures affected by or endangered by a landslide may contact the Department of Planning and Development at (206) 684-7899, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., for a rapid evaluation of damage.
7. Power outages are a pain - call Seattle Public Utilities and Seattle City Light at (206) 684-3000 to report power outages and/or downed power lines.
Thanks and let's all have a safe holiday!
Cheers - Lee
1. Do not leave water running in unoccupied buildings.
2. Please don’t use hair dryers to thaw frozen pipes!
3. Know where the main water shut-off valve inside your home is located and how to shut it off. Contact Seattle Public Utilities at (206) 386-1800 for questions about shutting off water mains and the tools needed to do so.
4. If a water pipe breaks, immediately close the main shut-off valve to stop excessive flooding. If you cannot turn off the main shut-off valve, Seattle Public Utilities customers can call (206) 386-1800 and a crew will turn off the water at the meter for a standard service charge.
5. If an inlet or street drain appears to be blocked by snow or debris, try to safely clear a channel to provide a path for the runoff. If the drain cannot be cleared, or if the cause of the blockage or flooding is uncertain, call Seattle Public Utilities at (206) 386-1800.
6. Melting/run-off can cause landslides...Seattle property owners with structures affected by or endangered by a landslide may contact the Department of Planning and Development at (206) 684-7899, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., for a rapid evaluation of damage.
7. Power outages are a pain - call Seattle Public Utilities and Seattle City Light at (206) 684-3000 to report power outages and/or downed power lines.
Thanks and let's all have a safe holiday!
Cheers - Lee
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Spray painting vandals paint side of car
Hi neighbors, looks like vandals are out and about in our neighborhood. The side of our car was spray painted black last night. If you see anyone acting suspicious, especially wielding an aerosol paint can, don't hesitate to confront them or call the police.
Have a great thanksgiving everyone!
Your neighbor @ 23rd and Bayview - Lee
Have a great thanksgiving everyone!
Your neighbor @ 23rd and Bayview - Lee
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Car Prowls on the rise - South Precinct Email Community Newsletter November 18, 2008
Yeah, yeah, I know - you’re tired of seeing this subject. Trust me, I’m tired of writing about it. The sad reality is that we’ve seen a marked increase in the number of car prowls throughout the Precinct in recent months compared to this time last year.
Why The Increase?
We have some theories:
• Car prowlers are hard to catch in the act. While they occur all times of the day and night in every neighborhood, most occur during hours of darkness in areas that do not have a lot of foot or vehicle traffic at the time of the crime.
• Car prowls take less time to commit than other crimes. It literally takes seconds for the prowler to see if there’s anything in the car that attracts their attention and a few more seconds to open the unlocked door or break the window to get in, get the stuff and get away.
• Car Prowls are treated as misdemeanors. As car prowl is theft from a car, the crime is prosecutedas a theft, regardless of the damage done to the car in the commission of the crime. Even if an offender is caught and prosecuted, the crime is almost always prosecuted as a misdemeanor offense. That differs from burglary, which is a felony offense.
• Car prowl is lucrative. Consider this:
Items most often taken in car prowls: Laptops, IPods, cash, small electronics, wallets, weapons, IDs, GPS systems.
Say I’m a bad guy. If I break in to a car and get caught, I’m charged with a misdemeanor. So, why would I break in to a home and risk getting caught and charged with a felony when my take from the car is about what I’d get from the house? Just because I’m a criminal doesn’t mean I’m stupid.
Who’s Doing It?
There is no one group of people committing car prowls. They are youth who are taking a break from burglarizing homes. They are addicts looking for an easy score they can turn into quick cash for their next fix. They are transients walking through the area. They are adults. They are young people. Most of all, they are opportunists.
What Can Be Done?
Car Prowl is a prolific problem. There are things we as owners and operators of vehicles can do to prevent these crimes.
• Don’t leave items of value in your vehicle. You’ve seen us write this before and we say it at every community meeting. It bears repeating because we’re still seeing this behavior; items of value in a vehicle create an opportunity for the offender to exploit.
• We see reports of people who park along the lake to go walking but leave their wallets in the car. If you’re going to take a walk or run along the lake, take your wallet with you rather than leaving it in the car.
• If you are going to leave something in your car, don’t wait until you park at your destination before you put stuff in the trunk or under the seat. You’ve just shown anyone who’s around that you’ve just put stuff in your trunk or under the seat.
• Don’t leave accessories visible in your car. You may have taken the Laptop or IPod in with you, but if you leave the USB cables for your laptop or earbuds for the IPod in the back seat, the offender may think those items are in the car and break in anyway.
• GPS systems are being taken at an alarming rate. Think about how the GPS is mounted in your car. If the mounting for the GPS is visible, the thief may think the GPS is in the glove box or under the seat and may break in to try to get it. Have a removable mounting for the GPS and put that out of sight as well.
Until next time, Take Care and Stay Safe!
Mark Solomon, South Precinct Crime Prevention Coordinator
Why The Increase?
We have some theories:
• Car prowlers are hard to catch in the act. While they occur all times of the day and night in every neighborhood, most occur during hours of darkness in areas that do not have a lot of foot or vehicle traffic at the time of the crime.
• Car prowls take less time to commit than other crimes. It literally takes seconds for the prowler to see if there’s anything in the car that attracts their attention and a few more seconds to open the unlocked door or break the window to get in, get the stuff and get away.
• Car Prowls are treated as misdemeanors. As car prowl is theft from a car, the crime is prosecutedas a theft, regardless of the damage done to the car in the commission of the crime. Even if an offender is caught and prosecuted, the crime is almost always prosecuted as a misdemeanor offense. That differs from burglary, which is a felony offense.
• Car prowl is lucrative. Consider this:
Items most often taken in car prowls: Laptops, IPods, cash, small electronics, wallets, weapons, IDs, GPS systems.
Say I’m a bad guy. If I break in to a car and get caught, I’m charged with a misdemeanor. So, why would I break in to a home and risk getting caught and charged with a felony when my take from the car is about what I’d get from the house? Just because I’m a criminal doesn’t mean I’m stupid.
Who’s Doing It?
There is no one group of people committing car prowls. They are youth who are taking a break from burglarizing homes. They are addicts looking for an easy score they can turn into quick cash for their next fix. They are transients walking through the area. They are adults. They are young people. Most of all, they are opportunists.
What Can Be Done?
Car Prowl is a prolific problem. There are things we as owners and operators of vehicles can do to prevent these crimes.
• Don’t leave items of value in your vehicle. You’ve seen us write this before and we say it at every community meeting. It bears repeating because we’re still seeing this behavior; items of value in a vehicle create an opportunity for the offender to exploit.
• We see reports of people who park along the lake to go walking but leave their wallets in the car. If you’re going to take a walk or run along the lake, take your wallet with you rather than leaving it in the car.
• If you are going to leave something in your car, don’t wait until you park at your destination before you put stuff in the trunk or under the seat. You’ve just shown anyone who’s around that you’ve just put stuff in your trunk or under the seat.
• Don’t leave accessories visible in your car. You may have taken the Laptop or IPod in with you, but if you leave the USB cables for your laptop or earbuds for the IPod in the back seat, the offender may think those items are in the car and break in anyway.
• GPS systems are being taken at an alarming rate. Think about how the GPS is mounted in your car. If the mounting for the GPS is visible, the thief may think the GPS is in the glove box or under the seat and may break in to try to get it. Have a removable mounting for the GPS and put that out of sight as well.
Until next time, Take Care and Stay Safe!
Mark Solomon, South Precinct Crime Prevention Coordinator
Monday, November 03, 2008
South Precinct Email Community Newsletter November 3, 2008
Quite often, we’ll receive calls and emails asking us about an incident that neighbors saw or heard about. “What was all the police activity about over by ……?” “Why was there a helicopter up shining a spotlight all over my neighborhood?” “What happened with that one guy who did that one thing?” (Yes, sometimes the queries are that “specific.”) We understand that you want to know what’s happening in your neighborhood. We now have a way for you to get the information that you are looking for in a timelier manner. The Seattle Police Department has launched the SPD Blotter.
The SPD Blotter went on line in September 2008. It provides a near real-time recap of significant crime events. You can review events from all over the city, or look specifically at events in the police precinct area in which you are interested. You are able to review recent events, such as significant events that happened last night or over the weekend, and there is an archive feature that allows you to review previous events detailed in the SPD Blotter.
There are a number of ways you can get the SPD Blotter:
• You can go to the SPD website and view the latest entries on our home page.
www.seattle.gov/police.
• You can access the Blotter directly by going to its specific web address,
http://spdblotter.seattle.gov/.
• You can subscribe to the Blotter so that it automatically arrives to you via email. Go to http://feeds.feedburner.com/spdblotter to sign up for this feature.
Lighting and Storm Drains
You’re probably wondering what these have to do with crime prevention and public safety.
Lighting. When areas are not well illuminated, there is often a feeling that the area is not safe. Combine that with the number of car prowls that happened in darkened areas and it becomes more important to ensure that neighborhoods are well illuminated in the evening hours. If you have a streetlight that is out or not functioning properly on your block, report that to Seattle City Light Streetlight Repair at (206) 684-7056. Each utility pole has a number. When you report the malfunctioning light, give the pole number and the address nearest the pole (for example “It’s in front of 3212 22nd S”), or the nearest cross streets (“Near 22nd Ave S & S Hanford ST”). Better street lighting contributes to a feeling of safety and it works to reduce the incidents of theft and prowling because the potential criminal is more visible.
Storm Drains.
Clogged storm drains may not be a crime issue, but they are a public safety issue. Every year, we experience heavy rains in the November/December months and every year, leaves and debris clog storm drains. Streets and homes flood because there is nowhere for the massive amounts of water to go. There are things we can do to work to prevent street flooding (which impacts traffic) and water damage to homes like we’ve experienced in previous years:
1) Clean out storm drains. While you are out tending to the leaves that have fallen from your trees, take a few moments to tend to the leaves that may block storm drains.
2) If your block has storm drains that have grass and sod that have grown over them (as on my block,) contact Seattle Public Utilities at (206) 386-1800 to have clearing and maintenance performed. You can call this number for any street drainage issues, including flooding and drainage emergencies. Please don’t call 911 for flooding.
Until next time, Take Care and Stay Safe!
Mark Solomon, South Precinct Crime Prevention Coordinator
The SPD Blotter went on line in September 2008. It provides a near real-time recap of significant crime events. You can review events from all over the city, or look specifically at events in the police precinct area in which you are interested. You are able to review recent events, such as significant events that happened last night or over the weekend, and there is an archive feature that allows you to review previous events detailed in the SPD Blotter.
There are a number of ways you can get the SPD Blotter:
• You can go to the SPD website and view the latest entries on our home page.
www.seattle.gov/police.
• You can access the Blotter directly by going to its specific web address,
http://spdblotter.seattle.gov/.
• You can subscribe to the Blotter so that it automatically arrives to you via email. Go to http://feeds.feedburner.com/spdblotter to sign up for this feature.
Lighting and Storm Drains
You’re probably wondering what these have to do with crime prevention and public safety.
Lighting. When areas are not well illuminated, there is often a feeling that the area is not safe. Combine that with the number of car prowls that happened in darkened areas and it becomes more important to ensure that neighborhoods are well illuminated in the evening hours. If you have a streetlight that is out or not functioning properly on your block, report that to Seattle City Light Streetlight Repair at (206) 684-7056. Each utility pole has a number. When you report the malfunctioning light, give the pole number and the address nearest the pole (for example “It’s in front of 3212 22nd S”), or the nearest cross streets (“Near 22nd Ave S & S Hanford ST”). Better street lighting contributes to a feeling of safety and it works to reduce the incidents of theft and prowling because the potential criminal is more visible.
Storm Drains.
Clogged storm drains may not be a crime issue, but they are a public safety issue. Every year, we experience heavy rains in the November/December months and every year, leaves and debris clog storm drains. Streets and homes flood because there is nowhere for the massive amounts of water to go. There are things we can do to work to prevent street flooding (which impacts traffic) and water damage to homes like we’ve experienced in previous years:
1) Clean out storm drains. While you are out tending to the leaves that have fallen from your trees, take a few moments to tend to the leaves that may block storm drains.
2) If your block has storm drains that have grass and sod that have grown over them (as on my block,) contact Seattle Public Utilities at (206) 386-1800 to have clearing and maintenance performed. You can call this number for any street drainage issues, including flooding and drainage emergencies. Please don’t call 911 for flooding.
Until next time, Take Care and Stay Safe!
Mark Solomon, South Precinct Crime Prevention Coordinator
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Oct. 14th Recent Crime Trends - South Precinct Community Newsletter
Car Prowls
We are seeing an upward trend in the number of car prowls in the South Precinct area. They seem to be up in almost every neighborhood – Beacon Hill, Georgetown, Rainier Beach, along Lake Washington, along the commercial corridors of the Precinct. Most common items taken include backpacks, cell phones, GPS navigation systems, credit cards, cash, and IPods.
For some time we’ve advised members of the community that Car Prowl is one of the most pervasive property crimes in our region. It is also one of the most preventable: don’t leave items of value in your car. The number of backpacks, laptops digital cameras and IPods that are being left in – and then stolen from – cars, let’s us know that we need to do more to reinforce this message.
Car prowl, like most crime, is a crime of opportunity. If you remove the opportunity, you remove the crime. Removing items of value from our vehicles reduces the opportunity. Part of the response to these crimes is we as car owners doing our part. When we as car owners stop leaving our property in our unattended cars, we have less incidents of car prowl.
We are not blaming the victim. At the same time, we are saying that we need not feed the problem by leaving valuables in our vehicles in plain sight to lure potential prowlers. Let’s not make it easy for these criminals. We should do our part to reduce the opportunity for these crimes to occur. We do that by removing items of value from our car.
Burglaries
We saw an increase in residential burglaries over the warm weather months. This is not unusual. We often see a spike in the number of burglaries via unlocked /open windows during the summer because we tend to leave windows open for ventilation and then leave the home. As the weather has cooled, the number of burglaries has decreased.
Recently, we’ve noted several incidents of burglars using ladders to gain entry to unlocked second story windows. The burglars are using ladders that have been left unsecured by neighbors. An example: Mr. Jenkins had a ladder lying in his driveway, but it wasn’t locked up. Burglars took the ladder and put it up against Mrs. Johnson’s house and got in a second floor bedroom window. After they got what they wanted, they went to Mr. Santos’ place and went in a second story window there.
What You Can do
• Close and lock all doors and windows (even second story windows) when you are away from home.
• Please secure all tools - including ladders - to ensure they cannot be used to gain entry into your (or someone else’s) home. Use a chain and padlock to secure the ladders (not just to themselves); secure them to a post/railing/banister, etc.
• Engrave your valuables with your driver’s license number so that it can be identified in the event of theft. Engraving property is also a deterrent; if thieves see the property is engraved, they are less likely to take it. For those items you cannot engrave, take a photo so you can positively identify them. This includes GPS systems, IPods, digital cameras, etc.; not just TVs, DVRs and laptops.
• Whether you engrave the item or take a picture of it, record the serial number of the item for positive identification. Make an inventory list of your valuable items; keep it someplace secure.
• Do not leave valuables in your unattended vehicles.
• Report the crimes! We often hear that car prowls are no big deal. However, theft from a car is still a theft. Police need to know about the thefts and need to be alerted when neighbors see suspicious activity. Without that reporting, police cannot respond.
Until next time, Take Care and Stay Safe! Mark Solomon, South Precinct Crime Prevention Coordinator
We are seeing an upward trend in the number of car prowls in the South Precinct area. They seem to be up in almost every neighborhood – Beacon Hill, Georgetown, Rainier Beach, along Lake Washington, along the commercial corridors of the Precinct. Most common items taken include backpacks, cell phones, GPS navigation systems, credit cards, cash, and IPods.
For some time we’ve advised members of the community that Car Prowl is one of the most pervasive property crimes in our region. It is also one of the most preventable: don’t leave items of value in your car. The number of backpacks, laptops digital cameras and IPods that are being left in – and then stolen from – cars, let’s us know that we need to do more to reinforce this message.
Car prowl, like most crime, is a crime of opportunity. If you remove the opportunity, you remove the crime. Removing items of value from our vehicles reduces the opportunity. Part of the response to these crimes is we as car owners doing our part. When we as car owners stop leaving our property in our unattended cars, we have less incidents of car prowl.
We are not blaming the victim. At the same time, we are saying that we need not feed the problem by leaving valuables in our vehicles in plain sight to lure potential prowlers. Let’s not make it easy for these criminals. We should do our part to reduce the opportunity for these crimes to occur. We do that by removing items of value from our car.
Burglaries
We saw an increase in residential burglaries over the warm weather months. This is not unusual. We often see a spike in the number of burglaries via unlocked /open windows during the summer because we tend to leave windows open for ventilation and then leave the home. As the weather has cooled, the number of burglaries has decreased.
Recently, we’ve noted several incidents of burglars using ladders to gain entry to unlocked second story windows. The burglars are using ladders that have been left unsecured by neighbors. An example: Mr. Jenkins had a ladder lying in his driveway, but it wasn’t locked up. Burglars took the ladder and put it up against Mrs. Johnson’s house and got in a second floor bedroom window. After they got what they wanted, they went to Mr. Santos’ place and went in a second story window there.
What You Can do
• Close and lock all doors and windows (even second story windows) when you are away from home.
• Please secure all tools - including ladders - to ensure they cannot be used to gain entry into your (or someone else’s) home. Use a chain and padlock to secure the ladders (not just to themselves); secure them to a post/railing/banister, etc.
• Engrave your valuables with your driver’s license number so that it can be identified in the event of theft. Engraving property is also a deterrent; if thieves see the property is engraved, they are less likely to take it. For those items you cannot engrave, take a photo so you can positively identify them. This includes GPS systems, IPods, digital cameras, etc.; not just TVs, DVRs and laptops.
• Whether you engrave the item or take a picture of it, record the serial number of the item for positive identification. Make an inventory list of your valuable items; keep it someplace secure.
• Do not leave valuables in your unattended vehicles.
• Report the crimes! We often hear that car prowls are no big deal. However, theft from a car is still a theft. Police need to know about the thefts and need to be alerted when neighbors see suspicious activity. Without that reporting, police cannot respond.
Until next time, Take Care and Stay Safe! Mark Solomon, South Precinct Crime Prevention Coordinator