Comments on: Neighbors concerned after recent crime spree

By: pet_supplies

pet_supplies — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 23:22:29 +0000

Give your pet their own special pet door. Pet doors provide your pets with the freedom to come and go as they please without requiring you to let them in and out every time. Selecting a quality pet door can help save energy during the hot and cold seasons. Choose a pet door large enough for your pet to enter and exit comfortably and safely. Pet doors should have a closing panel for times when you want to secure your Pet Door.

By: pet door

pet door — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 01:30:05 +0000

By: ihatesnitches666

ihatesnitches666 — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 12:40:17 +0000

because you live in blue ridge, theyre more worried about worse areas!

By: motion light

motion light — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 18:29:45 +0000

The article is usefull for me. I’ll be coming back to your blog.

By: HeardOnthe44

HeardOnthe44 — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 08:15:07 +0000

Don't give up and don't feel like you are being a nuisance when you fill out reports or are calling 9-1-1.

The more people who pay attention and take a second look, jot down a plate number, call 9-1-1 when they see something and communicate with others who live in your neighborhood, the less crime you will have.

We live more toward East Ballard and Lower Phinney and cheered as we saw a SPD car drive slowly down our street yesterday. The officer(s) could not see us but we were THRILLED to see them drive by. This is only the second time we every remember seeing SPD on our sreet. We have Blue Christmas lights this year……in honor of those officers who were killed this year but also in support of all officers who are truly out there to “serve and protect”.

By: anonymous

anonymous — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 05:48:28 +0000

No. My daughter goes to a school very nearby, not THAT specific school. But that story just goes to show that people are messed up, and you can't be too careful.

By: James_n_Ballard

James_n_Ballard — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 05:24:56 +0000

One of the reasons Public Safety Officers are in short supply is budgetary. Those officers are part of the “bloated government” that tax initiative supporters keep complaining about.

By: SPG

SPG — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 04:22:05 +0000

Are you talking about the robbery of the 76 gas station on Aurora/84th? You know who the criminal was who got away, then was apprehended by your daughter's school? A STUDENT FROM THAT SCHOOL.

By: Facepalm

Facepalm — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 22:13:32 +0000

Yeah I've also heard that sitting at home and not driving around incredibly reduces the risk of road accidents. Also, this just in: living without electricity / gas = less risk of home accidents. Oh and avoiding society altogether and living alone in the mountains means no one to bother you.

By: ethel

ethel — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 21:21:06 +0000

I never realized there was such an advantage to not having a garage.

By: nbmilitia

nbmilitia — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 21:08:46 +0000

I guess the other thing that really bugs me after talking to the police dept is the feeling that we are almost a nuisance. These burglaries are straight-up scary because of the time of night that they are taking place. I just really wish I felt any sense of urgency or maybe even a little concern from the North Precinct…

By: nbmilitia

nbmilitia — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 20:28:14 +0000

I would have to agree pattr….. As a resident of North Beach I rarely if ever see them north of 85th.

By: Olympia

Olympia — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 15:06:21 +0000

Right on dad!

By: Name

Name — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 09:49:46 +0000

2 bikes stolen from my and a neighbors mistakenly unlocked garages in the Loyal Heights on Saturday-Monday. There are lots of roving sticky fingers about these days.

By: Paul L

Paul L — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 09:37:20 +0000

“The officer says that the crime spree has subsided since the day after Thanksgiving and thinks the police presence may have scared the burglars for now.”

Nope! They just moved over to the Broadview neighborhood. There's been lots of middle of the night burglary action for the last month in the neighborhood just north of Carkeek. Beware people coming by your door selling windows (probably casing the joint).

By: Fed Up

Fed Up — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 09:16:57 +0000

Hey, here's an idea; why don't we get more people whose job it is to conduct public safety to, um do their public safety thing?? How about some good old fashioned outrage at the fact that during the evening hours, you don't see a single Police patrol in ALL OF NORTH SEATTLE.

Crazy, I know. I mean, if they were out on bikes, or foot or emission free arugula cart whatever I don't care. This area has seen a marked increase in crime the past year as we all have felt and until there is a greater law enforcement presence, it will continue.

I mean, locks, lights, shrubs, etc. are fine ideas. But how bout some good old fashioned outrage here? Angry fed up voters telling the new mayor that while we are thrilled his carbon footprint is negative, how about focusing on making the police footprint positive up in these parts?? Anybody????

By: SeaSpider

SeaSpider — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 08:20:53 +0000

Problem with having a gun is that it only protects your home if you're there (and awake enough to use it!) If a burglar breaks into your home while you're at work all your gun is going to do is become yet another stolen weapon in the hands of a criminal.

By: SeaSpider

SeaSpider — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 08:15:25 +0000

Modern garage doors are not as vulnerable but there are still lots of older models still in homes. Burglars also enter homes by prying a garage door open wide enough to gain entry. People assume a garage door opener acts as some sort of lock but it doesn't. Burglars will pry the door open enough to slip in and since most people don't lock the doors to their garage…

By: BTown

BTown — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 07:41:15 +0000

I think that some people might be taking advantage of the seniors in Ballard. Older homes that have people who feel that their neighborhood is so safe that they don't have to lock their doors. Plus, the “Liberal Core” of Seattle most likely does not have many guns to worry about.

I'll make sure to have the motion detector on when I go to bed these days.

All and all it make me sad… and alarmed. I constantly ask myself what would I do if I confronted a burgler.

By: Idle Activist

Idle Activist — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 04:34:25 +0000

Motion lights are very effective. Kind of like turning on a kitchen light and watching cockroaches scatter.

By: anonymous

anonymous — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 04:17:51 +0000

My daughter's school had a lockdown today because there was an armed robbery 6 blocks away and the criminal got away. All this violence and crime happening lately is a great reminder to be extra careful.

By: SPG

SPG — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 03:00:03 +0000

I thought that modern garage door openers all have rolling codes that prevent that from happening? I'm sure there's still some old ones in use without it, but I got the impression that the cars were burgled first to get the opener.
Either way, the scarier part about this is that they're burglarizing at night when people are home. From what I've heard this is actually atypical in that most burglars break in during the day when people are at work. Typically ring the front door bell, nobody answers, then go around back and kick in the door.

By: poeky

poeky — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 01:57:12 +0000

Good advice. I posted some in the stolen jacket thread on phinneywood.com and got flamed for my trouble.

Then again, I wasn't so nice about it. ;)

By: SeaSpider

SeaSpider — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:49:10 +0000

"He says that during a few of these burglaries, the door between the garage and house was left unlocked and the garage door opener was in the car out front. "

My old man was a burglary detective and he said this was the most common way burglars got into houses. They would take a replacement garage door opener (easily bought at any hardware store) and simply drive around clicking it until a garage door opened. They'd then park a van inside, close the door and take their sweet time looting the house knowing the owners were probably at work. Most people have deadbolts on their front/back doors but never think to put one on the door to their garage. Better yet, unplug your garage door opener at night and latch it shut. I have a lot of expensive tools in my garage and that's what I do.

Other tips:
Use the metal plate that comes with your pet door.
Deter burglars by planting bushes (especially thorny ones) under any low windows.
Make sure your windows have locks/latches and be sure to use them.
Don't leave anything you value sitting in your car - amazing how many people don't get this one!

By: Computrav

Computrav — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:44:36 +0000

This is a great point. I have an alarm system at my house that I installed. Works great and sounds a loud alarm, but it doesn't call the cops when it it set off. That of course would be better, but costs $. My theory is that if someone were breaking into my house and it starts beeping as soon as they come in (saying “enter your code or I'm going to sound my alarm in 30 seconds”), they're probably not going to stick around. I know some criminals are pretty dumb, but that's basic stuff. It's all about making them think something: someone's home, the cops are coming, etc. It's similar logic that if there are 4 cars out on the street and 1 of them has a backpack sitting in it, that's the car that'll get broken into first. Yes, they may do the others as well, but if someone rolls by or turns a light on or whatever, they will scatter and the other cars will be left alone.

By: cnt

cnt — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:36:56 +0000

Here is an article that presents some ideas, obviously, the author is an advocate of dark skies, but I think that he brings up some issues that might create some additional conversation between you and your husband. You will need to read past the first page to get to the crime part.

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2007/08/20/0...

By: SPG

SPG — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:25:41 +0000

No idea on porch light stats, but motion sensor lights have a psychological effect that is an acknowledged deterrent. The reasoning is that when a light comes on the burglar gets the feeling that someone turned it on, even if they know that it is a motion sensor, and they're less inclined to hang around. A light turning on also attracts attention to itself so even outside of psychological effect a burglar is more likely to be spotted when a light goes on than one is on the whole time.

By: Alysse

Alysse — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:17:34 +0000

No statistics information. If the light is on, the chance of being observed breaking in increases, so maybe the burglar will go to a dark porch instead. Another place I lived they said to improve sight lines to the street by cutting bushes and trees.

By: Ballardmom

Ballardmom — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 23:47:37 +0000

Does anyone have any hard statistics on whether or not porch lights detract burglars? My husband and I have been having a debate about that but haven't found anything to support either side of the argument.

By: pattr

pattr — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 23:04:09 +0000

“Seattle Police Department who patrols these neighborhoods….”

Take it from me who lives here the SPD rarely if ever patrols our neighborhood!