Terrie Johnston, Community Crime Prevention Coordinator recently sent out a communique regarding a sex offender who has moved into a nearby neighborhood. Perhaps this is a good time to renew our vigilance. Terrie’s letter is reproduced below:
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Crime Prevention/Public Safety Meeting Wrap-up
On June 23rd, about 50 of us gathered for a community meeting about crime prevention and public safety in Crown Hill. The speakers were Community Crime Prevention Coordinator Terrie Johnston and Officer Scott McGlashan, Community Police Team Officer for Ballard and Crown Hill.
Terrie briefly went over some of the recent history of crimes in all of the Ballard (including Crown Hill). Compared to last year, residential burglaries and car thefts were very slightly down over last year. She said looking at recent breakins, 45 percent were non-forced, meaning entry was gained through an unlocked door or window, or by key. Some residential burglaries were eased by tools already on site such as ladders or garbage cans propped up to reach an open window. Terrie mentioned a recent string of arrests where a number of criminals suspected of many crimes in the North Seattle area were recently apprehended thanks to alert neighbors and excellent police work by SPD officers and detectives. Terrie described some of the free services she can provide: 1) residential or business security survey; 2) help with setting up block watches; 3) providing information to neighbors about resolution of calls to police, and lots more. She said that part of having a block watch is getting to know your neighbors and that can have many benefits beyond just crime prevention. Terrie mentioned two upcoming events sponsored by SPD: 1) the North Precinct Picnic on July 9th; and 2) Night Out Seattle on August 2nd. Finally, Terrie’s last day in her position as Crime Prevention Coordinator will be Dec 31st. Her position is being eliminated as part of the budget cuts sweeping through all levels of city government. So act now if you would like to have Terrie conduct a free security survey of your home or business or help out with setting up a block watch on your block (terrie.johnston@seattle.gov or 206-684-7711).
Continue reading Crime Prevention/Public Safety Meeting Wrap-up
4th of July, Bike thefts, etc.
We recently received the following letter from Terrie Johnston with sage advice on fireworks, calling 911 on the 4th, and bicycle thefts. Terrie is the Crime Prevention Coordinator for the North Precinct. She is available to help set up block watches, perform residential and business security audits. Contact her for assistance: 206-684-7711 or terrie.johnston@seattle.gov — her position is only funded through December 31st, so act now!
Dear Block Watch Captains/Contacts: Fireworks: Wanted to get this information to you before the 4th. Please remember that fireworks are not legal in the City of Seattle. The 4th of July is perhaps the busiest day of the year for our 9-1-1 Communications Center. The Comm. Ctr. becomes overloaded by non-emergency fireworks calls. So only for July 4th , DO NOT call 9-1-1 unless you have life threatening emergency and need immediate response from Police, Fire or Medics. You may use our non-emergency line to report Firework violations at 625-5011.
Bicycle Thefts: Since January, 2011 through first week of June, 2011 there have been 97 bikes stolen from the North Precinct neighborhoods. Our Burglary detectives see stolen bikes being sold within hours of the theft on e-bay; Craigslist; in pawn shops and even on the street (one thief was selling stolen bikes on the Burke Gilman Trail). The reported dollar loss for these thefts is approximately $80,000. What can you do to prevent losing your bike and increase the likelihood of getting it back should it be stolen?
SPD Detectives recommend writing down the serial number of your bike and keeping the number in a safe place. Look for the ser. number on your bike’s head tube, seat post tube, under the crank, or on the frame’s rear wheel mount. Take a photograph of your bicycle. If your bike is stolen, call SPD to report the crime and give the call taker that serial number and any other identifying marks for your bicycle. Try to get a police incident number that you can use for your insurance claim.
Always lock your bike, the whole bike (through the frame and both wheels). Use more than one kind of lock if possible. Our detectives report bolt cutters are used to cut through the locking devices. Not all locks are equal, and you get what you pay for with locks. If the lock’s manufacturer offers a warranty or insurance, register the lock and get the serial number of it.
Lock your bike to something permanent. Lock it in a visible spot and someplace nearby. Lock your bike even if you are parking it on a porch; in the basement, the garage or storage unit. Storing your bike inside is preferred.
As always, use 9-1-1 to report anything suspicious.
If you want to see crime go down in your neighborhood, don’t buy stolen goods. If the deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.
I’ve sent out statistics on burglaries and bike thefts in my last two emails. The numbers seem high. Remember that the North Precinct comprises 42% of Seattle’s population. If the North Precinct neighborhood was a City, it would be the second largest City in the State of Washington. Tacoma and Spokane do not have the population we have here in the North Precinct. Thanks for sharing this information with your neighbors.
Terrie Johnston
Seattle Police Crime Prevention
206-684-7711
Artist needed for Burke Gilman Trail art work
The City of Seattle is looking for an artist or team of artists to create two to five art works along the Burke Gilman Trail. The commission is for up to $80,000. Applications are due August 1st, 2011. The full text from the press release:
City seeks artist for Burke-Gilman Trail artwork project
Outdoor artwork to be installed at two to five points along the trail
SEATTLE- The Seattle Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT), seeks an artist or artist team to develop a permanent, multi-site outdoor artwork at two to five select points along the Burke-Gilman Trail. Each part of the installation will enliven its location on the trail and collectively create a larger cohesive artwork.
The artwork will identify the trail as a connector through the city and add an element of discovery to peoples’ experience on the trail. The artist will coordinate with staff at SDOT, Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation and the Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs to select sites and develop the artwork.
The call is open to artists residing in Washington state. All members of an artist team must reside in Washington. The budget is $80,000, inclusive of all costs to design, fabricate and install artwork. The application deadline is 11 p.m., Monday, Aug. 1. A link to the online application is available at www.seattle.gov/arts.
Developed on the site of the former Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railway, the Burke-Gilman Trail was one of the first “rail trails” developed in the United States. The original 12.1 miles of the trail were dedicated in 1978. At 13.9 miles within the city today, The Burke-Gilman Trail is a popular corridor used for both recreational and commuter purposes. More than 3,000 cyclists per day have been counted on the trail during the warm-weather months.
The trail traverses a diverse section of Seattle. Along the trail’s route are residential areas; the University of Washington; views of Lake Union, the Lake Washington Ship Canal and Puget Sound; and industrial and maritime areas. SDOT recently extended the trail from Fremont to Golden Gardens Park, ending with a dramatic view of the sound. Beyond the Seattle city limits, the trail connects to the Sammamish River Trail as part of the King County Trail System.
The Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs promotes the value of arts and culture in communities throughout Seattle. The 16-member Seattle Arts Commission, citizen volunteers appointed by the mayor and City Council, supports the city agency.
Crown Hill Center Update and Work Party
We received the following good news update on the Crown Hill Center from Catherine Weatbrook:
This past spring, the Crown Hill team has been hard at work on a number of improvements to the Crown Hill Center building and grounds. In that effort, we submitted a Department of Neighborhoods Large Project Fund to go towards replacing about 1/2 of the old roof surface. We are pleased to announce that the Ballard as well as City Wide Review teams have recommended this project for the maximum grant amount of $100,000!  Thank you!  The recommendation still must be approved by the Seattle City Council and the Mayor. We are hopeful that history will repeat itself and the review team recommendations will be approved as submitted.
We are moving forward with several of the projects involved in the matching for this grant. The first work party, is Saturday, June 18th from 10-2. Stop by for an hour or four and help out. Rain or shine, we’ll be tackling projects that make the building a better community space. Weeding, clearing, grading, cleaning, scrubbing, picking up trash, organizing, and maybe even some painting.
For more information, please contact Catherine.Weatbrook@gmail.com 206 372 2033