Daily news blog for Seattle's Queen Anne neighborhood

 

Recent burglaries on QA & what you can do

October 15th, 2009 · 12 Comments

There have been several burglaries on the hill in the past month, including two daytime forced entries – one in Lower Queen Anne on the 300 block of Galer, and one in Magnolia on Viewmont Way – on September 29th and 30th. Although officials said there was no concrete link between the two crimes, burglary detectives who responded to both sites, said that while canvassing the neighborhoods many people came out of their homes and told them that they had seen suspicious people wandering around their block hours earlier but neglected to report the suspicious activity.

Yesterday Seattle Police Department Crime Prevention Officer Terrie Johnston informed me that these two instances were not the only, or even most recent, burglaries on the hill. “There have been 13 residential burglaries this month so far; 8 on Magnolia and 5 on Queen Anne. In only 3 of the burglaries did the criminal use any force, the other 9 entries were made through open and unlocked doors/windows,” she wrote.

Since 9 of the 13 burglary entries were made without force, officials would like to emphasize that many future incidences like these could be avoided by taking a few extra safety precautions. Remember to lock your doors and windows when leaving the house, even if it’s just for a moment. Keep a light on in front and back entrances at night.  Know your neighbors, keep their numbers, and look out for each other. And most importantly, if you see something suspicious, report it.

“Please remember, that 911 is for reporting suspicious activity too! When we say that you are our eyes and ears, this is because we know most criminals do not commit crimes when police officers are watching. We catch burglars in the act thanks to watchful neighbors. Officers responding to a call of suspicious activity might have frightened off these suspects. Many neighbors tell me they saw or heard something odd, but talked themselves out of calling 9-1-1. They feel awful when they realize their gut feelings were correct and they could have possibly deterred the crime,” Johnston wrote.

According to Johnston, if you suspect that your house has been burglarized, the best thing to do is to report it immediately, from the safety of another location if you can. She also says you should try to leave the scene as uncontaminated as possible so that no evidence is destroyed.

Johnston offers free home security surveys and is the go-to contact if you would like to join one of the many of block watch groups on Queen Anne, or start your own. Contact Johnston for more information at (206) 684-4741 or at terrie.johnston@seattle.gov.



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