Squire Park Crime issues

-----Original Message----- From: John Trautman
[mailto:watersedge@cablespeed.com] Sent: Friday, July 05, 2002 6:09 PM :
RE: Crime along 16th Ave 98122

This is an update. Eric and I talked with the police this afternoon.
According to the police significant crime is up in our neighborhood. We
have convicted felons living interspersed among us. A couple more things
were brought to light which I did not like to hear. A woman recently
getting off the 3 or 4 bus to visit her daughter was drug into the bushes
and raped. A nurse at Harborview was drug into a restroom, raped and
killed. So I would urge people to use caution. Apparently a TV was stolen
from the firestation in broad daylight by people just walking in and taking
it ?. So I am not sure any hour is better than another.

But according to the police crime is up significantly right now and the
grave yard shift has the lowest crew.

If you know of other people on the block please forward this email to them.
This is mostly the north end to the middle of the block. I have no one from
the south end of the block on this list.

-----Original Message----- From: John Trautman
[mailto:watersedge@cablespeed.com] Sent: Friday, July 05, 2002 2:53 PM

Subject: Crime along 16th Ave 98122

Ok everyone.

Eric Kochis from 338 has just put out a note as well. There was a lot of
crime along the street last night. Or at least more than I am comfortable
with.

This is all the emails I know along the street but we are being hit all of
a sudden fairly hard. At least 3 car break ins during the last 2 weeks and
people tried to break in my house last night. Eric Kochis has just put out
a note as well about his car being vandalized last night and missing things
from his yard so I would suggest we all be on the lookout. These people are
brave.

Eric reports another tenant seeing someone about 3 or 4 am an evening
before checking out his yard. I have heard people in the driveway next to
me several times. Last night both in my front and back yard and finally
kicking at the front door.

I don?t think an email list is much of a defense but at least we can stay
in touch with each other. This seems to happen in the summer and it?s
worrisome. In my experience, these people are not afraid to come in while
you are at home. Just enough time to grab something.

Personally I am not sure what we can do except call the police each and
everytime we hear or see something suspicious. My dogs saved me last night
waking me up to the noise in time to get moving but I worry about when I am
not here or I still move too late.

From: johnrobtt <watersedge@cablespeed.com> Reply-To:
SquirePark@yahoogroups.com To: SquirePark@yahoogroups.com Subject:
[SquirePark] News from 16th Avenue / Jefferson / Alder

Hi. I just joined the group. Some info. I have been here since 1984 so I
know a lot of the neighborhood history.

1) Parking. I worked that issue last summer with the Police, City council
and mayor's office. There were two neighborhoods funded but not staffed. It
was a long process but we are now staffed and the young guy in our
neighborhood is on the ball. It took months to get this resolved. We can
also call for new street ZONE signs if yours are falling down. I also
talked with Swedish aka Providence and they claimed last summer to have
fewer employees although we noticed more parking. They are willing to email
their employees about our concerns.

2)Crime --- in the last 2 weeks we have had 3 car break in along my block.
In one instance, they had tools to get in and not break windows. On the
night of July 4th, early am July 5th one car was broken into and an attempt
was made to break in my house. Kicking in a front door works but having had
that done once the door and frame are like fortresses now and i have large
dogs!

People are missing things from their yards as well such as lights, statues,
etc.

Two construction sites have been broken into across the block in the last 6
months for tools so....

Down side -- the police report major crime is up (per one officer) in our
neighborhood. Apparently a woman coming here to visit her daughter was
followed off a bus, pulled into the bushes and raped. A nurse was pulled
into a restroom at Harborview, raped and killed.

I have not experienced this level of stuff in a few years.

Just a short note.

John T.

From webcowgrrl@yahoo.com Wed Jul 17 16:17:33 2002 Date: Tue, 9 Jul 2002
21:40:08 -0700 (PDT) From: Annie Oakley <webcowgrrl@yahoo.com> Reply-To:
SquirePark@yahoogroups.com To: SquirePark@yahoogroups.com,
squirepark@yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: [SquirePark] FW: Crime along 16th
Ave 98122

I am not surprised to hear that this happened (and is happening). I have
noticed an increase in the amount of bottles and beer cans thrown on the
sidewalk, which always seem to appear overnight. But more importantly I've
been hearing lots of people on the streets at 2, 3, and 4 AM (I'm a light
sleeper). I wondered what people were doing out so late.

Do we have a block watch going anywhere here?

The cop I talked to was unhelpful. He said getting a gun and a concealed
weapon permit was a good idea. But he did say that the more of us that
called, the more the police department will care. I think this is a bad
attitude, but I'm planning to call in anything I think is weird.

Tonnvane

From kfspells@earthlink.net Wed Jul 17 16:17:38 2002 Date: Tue, 9 Jul 2002
23:02:45 -0800 From: Kris Fulsaas <kfspells@earthlink.net> Reply-To:
SquirePark@yahoogroups.com To: SquirePark@yahoogroups.com Subject: Re:
[SquirePark] FW: Crime along 16th Ave 98122

Thanks for sharing this info. We just had a block watch meeting this
evening for 22nd Avenue from Yesler to Jefferson, and several car breakins
were reported on E. Fir St. between 22nd and 21st. Also an increase in
prostitution at 21st and Yesler. We have a bunch of particularly unruly
young teens stealing whatever they can grab from porches, inside houses,
etc., even if they know you--doesn't stop them. I'm trying to get to know
the kids so I know who I can trust and who to steer clear of. I think the
approach of Seafair and other summer festivals tends to give the inner city
an air of anything goes. I try to know my neighbors, including the kids,
and share info so we all can keep a look out for one another. It's
worrisome. Thanks for sharing what you know.--Kris Fulsaas/SPCC board
member

From paxranch@speakeasy.net Wed Jul 17 16:17:50 2002 Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002
02:11:55 -0700 From: Paul Pemberton <paxranch@speakeasy.net> Reply-To:
SquirePark@yahoogroups.com To: SquirePark@yahoogroups.com Subject: Re:
[SquirePark] Prostitution

I worked with the Seattle Police Department last summer on the issue of
prostitution and had my block staked out. The officer never got back to me
and is now on a different assignment. Historically many of the homes in our
area were houses of prostitution. Mine was when I bought it, the woman I
bought mine from, and at one point the house next door. Where did
prostitution move to? Into the street in front of my house nightly and
daily.

My first call to the police in 1985 resulted in them coming to my back door
to be paid off literally. Then I got a card from the precinct captain
saying this was a neighborhood of containment. The 3 vacant lots across
from me provide cover but in broad daylight people just don't seem to
care..

Calling the police does little good. They don't rush up here.

My block is used for that on a daily basis.

16th between Jefferson and Alder.

Good luck. I personally don' t believe the police care or would have us
believe they are too understaffed to respond. That's even if they sit
parked in the Seattle U Connally Center parking lot.

To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
SquirePark-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.

Unfortunately, I think most of what you say is true.

There is a prioritizing necessary in the use of police resources.

Prostitution is more of a nuisance, than a crime, from the pragmatic view
point of the police.

My experience is at 15th and Spruce, which was at one time just at the edge
of the enforcement area.( instead of jailing women they are proscribed from
entering specific areas ). Thus it was as close to the area of highest
commerce yet not legally as dangerous as being on Yesler it self.

I just had to go out and stand on the corner myself sometimes to convince
women that it was MY corner and if any one was going to sell their ass it
would be me!

Of course this can be unpleasant and a hassle but it worked.

This is the time tested way to get rid of all kinds of vice, you have to
DISPLACE it. Usually without much help from the authorities.

I wouldn't say that the police are useless. We have had many co-operative
successes in shutting down drug operations. It just seems to take longer
than it should.

Finally, don't suffer alone. Participate in a formal Block watch! Police
response will improve if more people call and call consistently.

Paul Pemberton

From PBCrane@ix.netcom.com Wed Jul 17 16:17:58 2002 Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002
08:49:45 -0700 From: PBCrane@ix.netcom.com Subject: Re: [SquirePark]
Prostitution

If hookers were doing this in Wallingford or Laurelhurst, Mount Baker,
Leshi, how long would it last? Many years ago an African American CD group
called the Cherry Hill Colalition protested at a city council meeting and
at the Mayors office (Mayor Ullman) wanting to know why the Police
tolerated prostitution in a mostly black neighborhood but had a diffrent
level of toloration in a mostly white neighborhood. This double standard is
an gross insult and should be brought to our Mayors attention. Mayor
Nickles is, by far, the fairest Mayor we have had in years.

On another note, and not to sound too paranoid. It is common in large
eastcoast and midwest cities for developers to not only bring
pressure/bribary to allow police to allow criminal activity to continue in
areas they want to redevelope but you will find that developers will
encourage criminal acts. An example is an apartment building in a
neighborhood a developer owns. The developer wants to aquire land for a
large "condo" project. The neighborhood is an older low density working
mans income type neighborhood located in an area ripe for redevelopment.
Instead of offering to by property at market rates, the developer moves in
hookers, thieves and drug dealers into the apartment and proceeds to make
living conditions intolerable for the neighborhood. Neighbors lose their
homeowners insurance after the third claim due to breakins, people want to
leave for any price for their own safety, etc. Police turn a blind eye, as
per direction from the developer. I am not insinuatiing that this is
happening in Seattle on a large scale but I have seen it happen on a small
scale in my neighborhood, involving "friends of friends.

From jeannot.f@ghc.org Wed Jul 17 16:18:02 2002 Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002
08:53:00 -0700 From: John Jeannot <jeannot.f@ghc.org> Reply-To:
SquirePark@yahoogroups.com To: SquirePark@yahoogroups.com Cc:
jeannot@calvin.gonzaga.edu Subject: Re: [SquirePark] FW: Crime along 16th
Ave 98122

I don't pretend to know precisely why you are experiencing an increase in
anti-social behavior, but in general... We are now beginning to live the
aftermath of the war on drugs. We have a huge portion of our society who we
have locked away and are now being released. In general, they are now more
anti-social then before, ie, fewer social skills, a poorer self image, no
sense of belonging, the list of prison induced symptoms are numerous. We
live in the bed we made. Buying a gun only exasperates the social ill. The
police, as an institution, aren't really here to protect you and me. They
are here to protect the wealthy's ability to rob us. This is the deeper
social corruption. Be more afraid of this then bored kids on summer
holiday.

We have created a symptom oriented revenge based social structure. We need
to evolve into a cause oriented cure based social structure.

We need to move beyond our childish self absorbed profit motivated decision
making and grow up into an adult shared commom needs worldview.

two stadiums and still people struggle for survival - it's no wonder to
me...

John

>>> webcowgrrl@yahoo.com 07/09/02 09:40PM >>> I am not surprised to hear
that this happened (and is happening). I have noticed an increase in the
amount of bottles and beer cans thrown on the sidewalk, which always seem
to appear overnight. But more importantly I've been hearing lots of people
on the streets at 2, 3, and 4 AM (I'm a light sleeper). I wondered what
people were doing out so late.

Do we have a block watch going anywhere here?

Tonnvane

From webcowgrrl@yahoo.com Wed Jul 17 16:18:05 2002 Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002
11:23:01 -0700 (PDT) From: Annie Oakley <webcowgrrl@yahoo.com> Reply-To:
SquirePark@yahoogroups.com To: SquirePark@yahoogroups.com Subject: Re:
[SquirePark] FW: Crime along 16th Ave 98122

I called in to Peter Steinbruck's office to complain about this today, and
I think that should all call the city council and complain about the police
department's lack of responsiveness to crime in our area. There is no
excuse for it.

Jim Compton would be another good one to call.

Tonnvane

--- Kris Fulsaas <kfspells@earthlink.net> wrote: > Thanks for sharing this
info. We just had a block > watch meeting this > evening for 22nd Avenue
from Yesler to Jefferson, > and several car > breakins were reported on E.
Fir St. between 22nd > and 21st. Also an > increase in prostitution at 21st
and Yesler. We have > a bunch of > particularly unruly young teens stealing
whatever > they can grab from > porches, inside houses, etc., even if they
know > you--doesn't stop them. > I'm trying to get to know the kids so I
know who I > can trust and who to > steer clear of. I think the approach of
Seafair and > other summer > festivals tends to give the inner city an air
of > anything goes. I try to > know my neighbors, including the kids, and
share > info so we all can keep > a look out for one another. It's
worrisome. Thanks > for sharing what you > know.--Kris Fulsaas/SPCC board
member >

From watersedge@cablespeed.com Wed Jul 17 16:18:18 2002 Date: Wed, 10 Jul
2002 17:20:34 -0700 From: John Trautman <watersedge@cablespeed.com>
Reply-To: SquirePark@yahoogroups.com To: Tina Mankowski
<ochs@u.washington.edu>, squirepark@yahoogroups.com, Timothy Hicks
<timothy@nwlink.com>, BobCooper.org <Bob@BobCooper.org>, ecugrad96@aol.com,
erickochis@msn.com, ice_c0ld@hotmail.com, John Trautman
<watersedge@cablespeed.com>, joyj@gly.com, Mike Davis
<davism@genieind.com>, Paul Pemberton <paxranch@speakeasy.net>,
purenoir@hotmail.com Cc: j.trautman@charter.net Subject: [SquirePark]
Correction

I sent out an email on July 5th after Eric Kochis and I had talked with a
Seattle Police officer about crime along our block. Several people did some
checking and I was contacted today by Tina Mankowski who heads up public
relations by Harborview.

I had passed along the information that a nurse had been raped and killed
and found in a restroom at Harborview.

The correct information is this: The nurse is deceased and was found in a
room locked from the inside. There was no sign of violence. There is an
autopsy being performed. However, the cause of death is not known and there
has been no rape or other violence associated with this death.

I want to thank whoever contacted Harborview as well as Tina for contacting
me. My niece works there and I was very concerned.

It also brings to forefront another issue. I used to run several nonprofits
and we had in place a process to review things carefully. Perhaps that has
been done here by the forwarding of information and feedback. However, I am
going to follow up with the Police Department and let them know what I was
told.

I have seen several reports of what police have told people on this list
and for myself I will remember that is what someone was told.. but the
facts might be different.

John Trautman

From jan@zipcon.net Wed Jul 17 16:18:21 2002 Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2002
00:07:11 -0700 From: Jan Munger <jan@zipcon.net> Reply-To:
SquirePark@yahoogroups.com To: SquirePark@yahoogroups.com Subject: RE:
[SquirePark] FW: Crime along 16th Ave 98122

I don't want to sound self-righteous,-and I don't live on 16th- but the
problems I've had in the last four years have been minor. --and I Do live
in the 22nd Avenue blockwatch area. I've seen people who seem like they
might be selling drugs or sex, but I guess I've never felt threatened. I
try to look people in the eyes and walk like I belong there, people have
tended to seem very apologetic and leave when I show up. The time I
finally got sick of people partying in the alley- I called the police and
partiers never came back. Granted, I live at 22nd and Spruce, in a
neighborhood with a long standing block watch, and I never leave anything
that I need or is valuable in my car. We did have a break in about 4 years
ago, but we had left our front window wide open for weeks! What were we
thinking? I felt completely responsible for that.

I know other people have had problems, and I don't own much that's very
tempting to steal, but I want to counter strong feelings that something bad
is happening. It's summer. Kids are walking around hanging out with each
other. --I'm sorry other people are having problems, but I question what
this is about kids taking things off porches...I know that there's one kid
who has some problems who has taken things. Is that what we're talking
about, or is it something more general?

Ultimately, we need to keep engaging the kids in the neighborhood, making
them feel like we notice them, that they're welcome, that they can talk to
us. I just really hope people get that message rather than the message to
stay in their houses and call the cops. Even with adults who look
suspect...ask them if they need help finding someone, see what they do. (if
you're outside) Things get much less safe when people stay in their houses
and aren't out and about. And, a few reports of crime can make people feel
like things are less safe than they are-- Studies have shown that. Have
block watch meetings, call the police, talk to people, but don't start
giving your neighborhood a bad rap, and don't stop enjoying your
neighborhood when there are cool things going on here.

Hope everyone enjoys their summer,

Jan Munger

Date: Tue, 16 Jul 2002 15:34:35 -0700 From: "Jim Compton"
<jim.compton@ci.seattle.wa.us> To: tonnvane@yahoo.com Subject: Re: Crime in
my neighborhood not being addressed by police

Dear Tonnvane:

Thank you for writing to me about your experience with the Seattle Police
Department. I am sorry to hear that your experience has been less than
satisfying. I can certainly understand your frustration.

First, I would like to clarify some of the statements you have received
from dispatchers and officers. Police resources and patrols are currently
assigned using data based on 9-1-1 calls. This is why you and your
neighbors are encouraged to call 9-1-1 if you witness a crime or are a
victim of crime. Clearly, 9-1-1 calls are not the most accurate indicator
of crime rates, and Chief Kerlikowske will be presenting a major police
management study later this fall that addresses this issue along with
others. I eagerly await the report, and I believe the result will be far
better use of our police resources and better responses to citizens.

Also, organizing neighborhood watches and participating in the Precinct
Community Councils are an excellent way to better communicate and
coordinate with the police. Community involvement offers a wealth of
information to the police that helps them track and resolve crime trends
and patterns. It also empowers a neighborhood, and it is often effective in
discouraging the kinds of crimes you reference. Contact Mark Howard of the
Community Crime Prevention Division of the SPD for more information on
these groups.

I hope this information is of some help to you. I agree with your statement
that every citizen in Seattle deserves equal protection. I will be sure to
share your e-mail with Chief Kerlikowske and also East Precinct Commander
Captain Mark Evenson. Thank you again for writing to me about this very
important issue.

Best Regards, Jim Compton

>>> Tonnvane Wiswell < 07/10/02 12:03PM >>">tonnvane@yahoo.com> 07/10/02
12:03PM >>>

From: Tonnvane Wiswell <tonnvane@yahoo.com> Subject: Crime in my
neighborhood not being addressed by police Priority: Normal

My name is Tonnvane Wiswell. I live in Squire Park, and I am contacting you
to complain about a lack of police responsiveness in my neighborhood.

Recently I have noticed an decrease in "quality of life" in the
neighborhood (guy on corner selling drugs, bottles on street every morning,
people on streets making a lot of noise at 3 AM on a weeknight). I called
in the drug selling but nothing seemed to happen. What could I do?

Then yesterday I found out that there's been a crime wave on 16th street,
only a block away, with lots of car break-ins and people trying to kick
down the door of this guy's house to rob it while he was home. Then another
person on my neighborhood email list reported that there were prostitutes
soliciting basically outside his door on 16th. And a third person reported
that they've got <a
href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SquirePark/message/306"> wandering
youth gangs stealing</a> stuff off people's porches ... and inside their
houses ... and all of them said the cops are doing nothing.

So what is the police department's response to this?

"The Central District is safer than it's been in 20 years." Several of us
have got this response, and I have got it at least twice. My response is,
so what? Is the police department not responsible for us any more since
murder and rape is down? What garbage.

"Organize a block watch ... you're more likely to get a response if more
people call in." Why should it take 15 people to get the response that a
single person should get?

Finally ... I told the guy who answered the phone last night (8 PM) at the
east precinct office that I was feeling so worried at times that I was
thinking about getting a gun. What did he say? "That sounds like a good
idea." I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! What, we are supposed to do the policing
ourselves down here?

I swear, it seems like there are two different cities in Seattle, and the
one city likes to pretend like the other doesn't exist. I feel like I
deserve the same amount of safety in my house as the people in Madrona and
Wallingford do. "Oh, break-ins and drug dealing is just petty crime ...
that's what you get for choosing to live in the Central District." No,
that's what I get for living in a city whose police force has screwed up
priorities.

Tonnvane Wiswell