Join us at 6:00 in front of 2360 20th ave. south for food and conversation!
It's potluck so please bring something to share, and if you have any lawn chairs to share, bring those on over as well!
Announcements:
If you have an old telephone (cel or otherwise) you wish to donate, please bring it for collection, it's for a good cause - Verizon Wireless' HopeLine Program which is for domestic violence survivors.
If you want some free trees for your parking strip, i'll have a sign up sheet for that this year.
Bring along any new neighbors who are not on our list so we can sign them up for our block watch.
See you Tuesday! Lee
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
July 12, 2006 SPD community newsletter
Dear Community Friends:
Fourth Of July Recap
We hope you enjoyed the July 4th Holiday. As mentioned in previous newsletters, personal fireworks are illegal within Seattle city limits, as they are in other incorporated cities in our region. This year, the Seattle Police Department implemented Fireworks Emphasis Teams to enforce that ban. From June 30th through July 4th, two officer teams in each precinct were dedicated to enforcing the fireworks ban.
The South team was a huge success, and very busy. They were dispatched to 83 fireworks related 911 calls, conducted 84 proactive location checks, made 22 arrests and logged 21 incident reports. On two occasions, the Arson/Bomb Squad was called out to respond. Estimated value of the illegal fireworks this one team confiscated was $7000.
Why is this important? Why place such an emphasis on bottle rockets and firecrackers?
1) Injury to persons because of carelessness or maliciousness;
2) Damage to property because of the same, and;
3) Fire danger.
Think about what would happen if a bottle rocket were to land on a dry, cedar-shake roof. And I know some of you have personal stories of youths firing bottle rockets directly at moving cars, or throwing firecrackers at each other and/or having them blow up in their hand or next to someone’s ear. Think of the costs (personal and financial), and the resources (fire, medical, police) to respond to property damage, fire, or personal injury. Once you think about it, you’ll realize why it’s important.
Even though many people knew that fireworks are illegal in the City, they still had and used them. While most fireworks are illegal in the City, they are legal in unincorporated King County, thus the fireworks stands Renton Ave S. in Skyway (outside Seattle city limits).
We will have Fireworks Emphasis Teams operating next year. And while there will be more education about the fireworks ban, there will also be more enforcement, confiscation and arrests.
Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
SEAFAIR
Seafair is upon us, with numerous community events happening all across our region. (For more information, check www.seafair.com). I bring Seafair up in this forum because there are a number of new occurrences this year during the weekend of August 5th & 6th that are going have impacts on our neighborhoods.
In addition to the Blue Angels flyovers Friday and the Hydro time trials and races, there will be a concert in Genesee Park on Saturday, August 5th. Following the concert, at 9pm, there will be a night-time pyrotechnic air show and a fireworks show over Lake Washington.
For those who live in the area, it means an increase in foot and vehicular traffic on the arterials and side streets (even those signed Local Access Only). There will be ample police presence and patrol throughout the area during the Seafair events. However, the concert, air show and fireworks show are new events; we have no way to gauge the impact of those events and the influx of people into the neighborhoods. We wanted you to be aware of what was happening and be mindful of the potential impacts.
Night Out
National Night Out Against Crime 2006, is Tuesday, August 1st. To register your block or group to hold an event, you can do so on line at www.cityofseattle.net/police/Nightout.
If you want to close your street off, you can indicate that on the registration form. The deadline to register your group for Night Out is Friday, July 27th.
Until next time, Take Care and Stay Safe!
Mark Solomon
South Precinct Crime Prevention Coordinator
Fourth Of July Recap
We hope you enjoyed the July 4th Holiday. As mentioned in previous newsletters, personal fireworks are illegal within Seattle city limits, as they are in other incorporated cities in our region. This year, the Seattle Police Department implemented Fireworks Emphasis Teams to enforce that ban. From June 30th through July 4th, two officer teams in each precinct were dedicated to enforcing the fireworks ban.
The South team was a huge success, and very busy. They were dispatched to 83 fireworks related 911 calls, conducted 84 proactive location checks, made 22 arrests and logged 21 incident reports. On two occasions, the Arson/Bomb Squad was called out to respond. Estimated value of the illegal fireworks this one team confiscated was $7000.
Why is this important? Why place such an emphasis on bottle rockets and firecrackers?
1) Injury to persons because of carelessness or maliciousness;
2) Damage to property because of the same, and;
3) Fire danger.
Think about what would happen if a bottle rocket were to land on a dry, cedar-shake roof. And I know some of you have personal stories of youths firing bottle rockets directly at moving cars, or throwing firecrackers at each other and/or having them blow up in their hand or next to someone’s ear. Think of the costs (personal and financial), and the resources (fire, medical, police) to respond to property damage, fire, or personal injury. Once you think about it, you’ll realize why it’s important.
Even though many people knew that fireworks are illegal in the City, they still had and used them. While most fireworks are illegal in the City, they are legal in unincorporated King County, thus the fireworks stands Renton Ave S. in Skyway (outside Seattle city limits).
We will have Fireworks Emphasis Teams operating next year. And while there will be more education about the fireworks ban, there will also be more enforcement, confiscation and arrests.
Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
SEAFAIR
Seafair is upon us, with numerous community events happening all across our region. (For more information, check www.seafair.com). I bring Seafair up in this forum because there are a number of new occurrences this year during the weekend of August 5th & 6th that are going have impacts on our neighborhoods.
In addition to the Blue Angels flyovers Friday and the Hydro time trials and races, there will be a concert in Genesee Park on Saturday, August 5th. Following the concert, at 9pm, there will be a night-time pyrotechnic air show and a fireworks show over Lake Washington.
For those who live in the area, it means an increase in foot and vehicular traffic on the arterials and side streets (even those signed Local Access Only). There will be ample police presence and patrol throughout the area during the Seafair events. However, the concert, air show and fireworks show are new events; we have no way to gauge the impact of those events and the influx of people into the neighborhoods. We wanted you to be aware of what was happening and be mindful of the potential impacts.
Night Out
National Night Out Against Crime 2006, is Tuesday, August 1st. To register your block or group to hold an event, you can do so on line at www.cityofseattle.net/police/Nightout.
If you want to close your street off, you can indicate that on the registration form. The deadline to register your group for Night Out is Friday, July 27th.
Until next time, Take Care and Stay Safe!
Mark Solomon
South Precinct Crime Prevention Coordinator
Monday, June 12, 2006
Drug deal up tick on corner of Bayview and 20th & SPD newsletter
Keep an eye out for this one: Seen 12:05am. Silver Honda with rack on top license# 844 RQN parked in front of Monika and Andre's house. Young Black male hanging out on the street corner between Jennifer's and your house, waiting for someone (drugs?). Owner of car in front??? Called 911 and reported suspicious activity in KNOWN DRUG AREA. Said they were sending an officer.
NEWSLETTER
Dear Community Friends –
Summertime Security Tips
We often see an increase in residential burglary and theft in the warm weather months. At times, we leave our windows open for ventilation when we are not home. In a vast number of summertime burglaries, the burglar gains entry through an opened or unlocked door or window. We also see an increase in theft of personal property, because there is a tendency to leave items unattended at parks. Here are some summer safety tips
Close And Lock Windows; Limit How Far They Can Be Opened
When you are away from home, close and lock your doors and windows. If you want to leave windows open enough for ventilation, but not wide enough for someone to gain entry, use a dowel for sliding glass windows cut to allow the window to open no more than 4”. For double hung windows, consider sash pins. Some windows have stops installed on the inside track, which will also prevent the window from being opened to far. Call me for a free home security survey where I can go over these options with you in further detail (206.386.9766).
Lock Your Doors
I have seen reports of someone stepping out to the store for a short bit and leaving their doors visibly opened. They returned to find someone had burglarized the home. Anytime you leave your home, close and lock your doors. Let’s not make it easy for the burglar.
Working In The Yard
When working in the yard in the back of the home, do not leave the front door open and/or unlocked. Just recently a neighbor left her front door open while she worked in her back yard. She saw a man walk by the front of the house a couple of times. The man saw her, he also saw the open door. He helped himself to what he could while the neighbor was still in the yard.
If you have a garage or storage unit that is out of your line of sight while you are working in the yard, be mindful of what are you showing in plain view to anyone who may be walking or driving by.
Secure Your Tools
Gardening tools, lawnmowers, other yard tools, ladders… all tend to be stolen more in warm weather months. Make sure you lock them up in the garage, shed, etc.
Secure Bicycles
I’ve noticed a large number of bicycles being stolen in past summers. Locking these up with a bike chain - or storing them inside - can help prevent theft.
Do Not Leave Pets Or Children Unattended In Vehicles
There are far too many reports of pets or children dying because they were left unattended in a hot vehicle with the windows rolled up. Don’t leave children unattended in cars, even for a short time. If you leave a pet in a car, roll the windows down enough for ventilation and provide a dish of water. Better to leave the pet at home rather than in a sweltering car.
Fireworks
There are no legal fireworks in the City of Seattle. The Seattle Police Department strives to enforce the City of Seattle’s 1993 fireworks ban. Anyone caught using fireworks of any kind can be fined up to $500 and sentenced to 180 days in jail. Celebrate July 4th by watching the public fireworks displays instead, rather than risk a fine from the City or injury from the fireworks.
Have a great summer and enjoy the warm weather and all the community festivals our city has to offer.
Until Next time, Take Care and Stay Safe!
Mark Solomon, South Precinct Crime Prevention
Night Out 2006 is Tuesday, August 1stCheck out the website: www.seattle.gov/police/Nightout
This year the Seattle Police Department is honored to partner with Verizon Wireless' HopeLine Program for this year's Night Out. HopeLine began in 1995 with a commitment to provide voicemail boxes and emergency wireless phones to victims of domestic violence living in shelters. In 2001 it branched out into recycling and re-using donated phones. By the end of 2005 HopeLine had collected more than 2.5 million phones and donated more than $1 million to organizations engaged in raising awareness and prevention of domestic violence.
For those that would like to participate in the HopeLine Program for Night Out 2006 by donating old phones and accessories, the Seattle Police Department is asking blocks to designate one person who will be responsible for getting all the donations they collect to their local precinct. For those blocks that would like to make this a centerpiece of their Night Out celebration, donation boxes will be available at the precincts two weeks prior to Night Out.
If you would like additional information or would like to volunteer for this program contact Dana Lockhart at (206) 615-0890.
Friday, May 26, 2006
May 25, 2006 Newsletter
Dear Community Friends –
Marijuana Grow Operations
In the last seven months, the South Precinct Anti-Crime Team has served 12 marijuana grow operation search warrants in Southeast Seattle. Locations of these marijuana grow farms have been in the Rainier Beach, South Beacon Hill, Columbia City and Cheasty Blvd areas. The street value of the seized marijuana:
$11,000,000.00. Yes, $11 million.
Regardless of how you feel about marijuana, marijuana grow operations are not benign. They have negative impacts on the areas in which they operate. We know there are many more out there. You can help us find, identify and remove them and the adverse impact they cause in our communities.
Grow Operation Characteristics
• Grow operations are usually rental properties. They may be in clusters, with 3-4 grow farms operated by the same people within a short distance of each other, often in the same general neighborhood.
• The property owner/renter is most likely absent. Most grow operators do not live in the home where the grow operation is located. You are not going to see a lot of activity at the house. Someone will show up periodically for short amounts of time to tend the marijuana, but then they will leave. They do not stay long and you‘ll rarely see them bring in groceries or other personal supplies. This is not a universal rule, however: there have been times when the people have lived in the same location as the grow farm.
• Growers often steal electricity by diverting the power at the meter.
• The grow operations use an inordinate amount of electricity for lights, heaters and fans. Monthly electric bills that reach into the thousands of dollars are not uncommon and a good indicator of a
grow operation.
• Usually the entire crop is harvested all at once. Whereas you may have only seen one person enter the house for short periods of time, at harvest time there will be multiple people and multiple vehicles and it will be the only time they are seen at that location.
• Loading/unloading of equipment and plants is most likely done late at night.
Telltale Signs of a Grow Operation
Here are some of the signs that we look for:
• Odor of Marijuana: Pungent earthy herbal or skunk-like odor, usually in the late evening or early morning. Indoor marijuana grow farms need to be vented and this is usually done late night/early morning hours vs. midday so as to not attract attention.
• Condensation on the windows.
• Covered windows from the inside. Usually covered with regular blinds or curtains where false walls are created on the inside. In this case the blinds/curtains never open.
• Sound of venting fans.
• Lights appear as if they are on timers (coming on the same time everyday): growers making the house appear lived in.
What We Need From You
If any of the above describes a home in your neighborhood, take another closer look. The signs are not limited to the above indicators and not all the telltale signs need to be there for you to report it. If it’s suspicious, report it! Let us know what activity you see (or odors you smell) and describe your suspicions.
Each precinct’s Anti-Crime Team will act on information received regarding marijuana grows in their area. In the South Precinct, call our precinct’s Anti-Crime Team at 206-386-1878. You can remain anonymous.
Until Next time, Take Care and Stay Safe!
Mark Solomon, South Precinct Crime Prevention
Marijuana Grow Operations
In the last seven months, the South Precinct Anti-Crime Team has served 12 marijuana grow operation search warrants in Southeast Seattle. Locations of these marijuana grow farms have been in the Rainier Beach, South Beacon Hill, Columbia City and Cheasty Blvd areas. The street value of the seized marijuana:
$11,000,000.00. Yes, $11 million.
Regardless of how you feel about marijuana, marijuana grow operations are not benign. They have negative impacts on the areas in which they operate. We know there are many more out there. You can help us find, identify and remove them and the adverse impact they cause in our communities.
Grow Operation Characteristics
• Grow operations are usually rental properties. They may be in clusters, with 3-4 grow farms operated by the same people within a short distance of each other, often in the same general neighborhood.
• The property owner/renter is most likely absent. Most grow operators do not live in the home where the grow operation is located. You are not going to see a lot of activity at the house. Someone will show up periodically for short amounts of time to tend the marijuana, but then they will leave. They do not stay long and you‘ll rarely see them bring in groceries or other personal supplies. This is not a universal rule, however: there have been times when the people have lived in the same location as the grow farm.
• Growers often steal electricity by diverting the power at the meter.
• The grow operations use an inordinate amount of electricity for lights, heaters and fans. Monthly electric bills that reach into the thousands of dollars are not uncommon and a good indicator of a
grow operation.
• Usually the entire crop is harvested all at once. Whereas you may have only seen one person enter the house for short periods of time, at harvest time there will be multiple people and multiple vehicles and it will be the only time they are seen at that location.
• Loading/unloading of equipment and plants is most likely done late at night.
Telltale Signs of a Grow Operation
Here are some of the signs that we look for:
• Odor of Marijuana: Pungent earthy herbal or skunk-like odor, usually in the late evening or early morning. Indoor marijuana grow farms need to be vented and this is usually done late night/early morning hours vs. midday so as to not attract attention.
• Condensation on the windows.
• Covered windows from the inside. Usually covered with regular blinds or curtains where false walls are created on the inside. In this case the blinds/curtains never open.
• Sound of venting fans.
• Lights appear as if they are on timers (coming on the same time everyday): growers making the house appear lived in.
What We Need From You
If any of the above describes a home in your neighborhood, take another closer look. The signs are not limited to the above indicators and not all the telltale signs need to be there for you to report it. If it’s suspicious, report it! Let us know what activity you see (or odors you smell) and describe your suspicions.
Each precinct’s Anti-Crime Team will act on information received regarding marijuana grows in their area. In the South Precinct, call our precinct’s Anti-Crime Team at 206-386-1878. You can remain anonymous.
Until Next time, Take Care and Stay Safe!
Mark Solomon, South Precinct Crime Prevention
Friday, April 28, 2006
April 27, 2006 Community Newsletter from the SPD
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
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
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