Category Archives: Crime/Emergency

Crime/Emergency

Dogs in the Neighborhood …

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There is nothing more galling to responsible dog owners than the sight of a dog let loose to run on the streets every morning and night. There are several issues with the scenario:

  1. The loose dog will frequently set off  barking of other dogs
  2. Some of the loose dogs are not particularly friendly to humans
  3. The owner is not complying with the leash law
  4. The owner is not cleaning up their dog’s fecal deposits

Owner responsibility for their pets is key to resolving situations like this. There are several laws that can be enforced. However, if you are comfortable doing so, it can be enough to discuss the behavior with the offending pet owner and let them know that you know. If this doesn’t work, or you are uncomfortable, the enforcement of the laws by Seattle Animal Control is key. There are several relevant laws which are quoted (in italics) below from here:

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Crime/Emergency

File Police Reports Online Now

The Seattle Police Department recently announced an online reporting system (CORP: Community Online Reporting Program) for certain types of incidents. CORP covers the following incidents: 1) Property destruction; 2) Car Prowls; 3) Auto Accessories; 4) Theft of Property under $500; 5) Identity Theft. All other crimes should be reported, either by calling 911 or the SPD non-emergency line 206-625-5011. To use CORP, bookmark this page or click on “File a police report” on SPD’s main site.

This program allows members of the public to file police reports without having to wait for an officer to respond or call back.  All reports will be reviewed by police, and when approved, the filer will be e-mailed a copy of the final report.  According to the SPD Blotter article, “The report will transfer directly into the Seattle Police Department records management system and receive the same investigation and statistical analysis as if the report had been filed by an officer.”

911 should still be used for crimes in progress, or if the suspect is still there, or the caller or others are in danger. The CORP system is not for emergencies.

Crime/Emergency, Crown Hill Neighbors, Events

Neighborhood Night Out

Night OutSeattle has had a long history of supporting Night Out which is a program supported by the Seattle Police Department. The program has been growing every year, with over 1,200 neighborhood groups participating in 2009. The event is an opportunity to bring your neighbors together, welcome new neighbors, talk about crime prevention and Block Watch efforts, and have a great time with food, music, games – whatever your block wants to put together. Some gatherings are just a few households; others expand into large block parties.

Night Out Against Crime is an opportunity for Crown Hill neighbors to renew their commitment to:

  • Heightening crime and drug prevention awareness.
  • Generating support for, and participation in, local anti-crime programs
  • Strengthening neighborhood spirit and knowledge of who your neighbors are
  • Sharing ideas for safety and distributing neighborhood contact information.

Who organizes Crown Hill blocks to have a “Neighborhood Night Out” event?  You do. It’s up to each group of neighbors to put something together. You can get a permit for a street closure if you want to use the street for kid’s games, chalk art, dancing, whatever.  To register for a street closure and download a sign to post at your street ends, go to this website:  http://www.seattle.gov/police/Nightout/Materials.htm

Crime/Emergency

Crime Mapping Tool Now Available

The Seattle Police Department recently announced their new publicly available crime mapping tool. The crime maps coordinate with the police reports available online (registration and sign-in required). The map is zoomable, positionable, and can be searched by address or neighborhood.  Each type of crime is indicated by a different icon. “Rolling” the mouse cursor provides a handy way to decode the heiroglyphs, plus a rough address, and a link (if available) to the police report on the incident.

Crown Hill Crime
Crown Hill Crime Snapshot, July 2nd, 2010 13:00

Crimes will be marked on the map within 12 hours of occurrence and will either link to a redacted police report or a “GO” (General Offense) number. The police reports may lag several days behind the appearance of the icon on the map.

After playing with it for a few minutes, I am struck by how little crime is present in Crown Hill (and Ballard) compared with parts of Seattle South of here.

Crime/Emergency

Updates to Police and Fire Call Information Resources

One of the most popular pages on this site is “What’s that Siren?” The page lists a number of resources for finding out about police and fire department activity in the neighborhood.

The SPD is now making a broader range of police reports available to the public (but, the reports are “redacted”, and registration / sign-in are required).

Additionally over the last month, a couple of you (Steve and Alysse) have written to indicate the KOMO Scanner web site was no longer working for Mac computers. I updated that to a different link, which unfortunately still does not work for Mac’s. I have also added a couple more web sites which offer live feeds of the police and fire radio transmissions. One of the new sites claims to be Mac usable.

If you’re interested, you can check out and bookmark the newly revised “What’s that Siren?” page.