After a woman was assaulted outside her Lower Queen Anne apartment back in February, many neighbors got together to organize a Lower QA/Uptown Block Watch group to promote public safety in the community. The first meeting was held last Thursday, April 8, and organizer J.P. Flores says it was a huge success.

For those who couldn’t make it to the meeting, J.P. has put together a few notes on the topics covered and what the group plans to do next to bolster public safety and deter crime in the neighborhood, including weekly walks, building-specific Block Captains and mobilizing communication via social media. Take a look:

We had about 27 people show up for the meeting which I think was a great turn out! As Melanie said, there was a good energy and A lot of Great Ideas were presented as far as personal safety as well as improvements to the neighborhood. Just a few points were:

• A weekly walk is a fun constructive way to 1) keep a community presence on the street and 2) get to know your neighbors!
• 911 should be called if you want an officer to come out. Don’t be afraid to call, as this is a good way for the police to track crime trends in the area (this includes reckless driving, screaming people and so on).
• Neighborhood Block watch signs would be a great way to discourage criminal behavior in the area (Terrie suggested asking the businesses in the area if they would contribute in part or full for the cost of the signs as it is for their benefit as well).

Block Captains
Terrie spoke of block captains that would relay news or events to the people on their block, since we live in a neighborhood of condo and apartment complexes, we should have building captains like Terrie suggested. This person would relay any news about events we would be planning (weekly walks, or maybe even a yearly bbq for National Night Out) and address any issues relative to LQA safety. If you are interested in being a block captain please email me and we can discuss it one on one.

Social Media?
For anyone who uses Facebook or Has a Twitter account, I think a Facebook page for the LQA watch should be created that would post to your news feed as just another way to stay connected in our neighborhood and provide a more open forum for discussion. If everyone likes the Idea I will set one up.

The group has proposed weekly community walks, which would take place at 7 p.m. every Thursday. J.P. would like to hear feedback and suggestions on these proposals from neighbors and those interested in getting involved. You can contact J.P. at jflor84@gmail.com.

Last month Camille parked on the street outside her Lower Queen Anne apartment, near W Roy St. and 3rd Ave W., and began to walk towards her building when she was suddenly attacked, kicked to the ground and mugged. Although she was not seriously injured and later recovered her belongings, Camille was shaken up and worried for the safety of herself and other women living in the neighborhood.

Though she didn’t know it at the time, but several neighbors heard her screams and run outside to assist her. By that time Camille had already made her way into her building, but her story has lead several community members to urge the creation of new Block Watch group in Lower Queen Anne.

J.P. Flores, who is spearheading the effort, says that many in the community have responded and he expects a large attendance at the first meeting, set for Thursday, April 8 at 5:30 p.m. at the Courtyard at Queen Anne Square, located at 275 W. Roy.

SPD Crime Prevention Officer Terrie Johnston will be attending the meeting to help Queen Anne residents learn about working together to tackle public safety issues. The event will be a great opportunity to meet your neighbors face-to-face, one of the first steps in creating an effective Block Watch.

For more information see the event flier (.pdf), and feel free to pass the information along to other neighbors who may be interested.

One Lower Queen Anne woman, Camille, was assaulted outside her apartment late last Tuesday night, having her bag snatched only after she was repeatedly kicked in the face and chest by the assailant.

Many neighbors who heard her screaming during the ordeal, and many more who live in the area, were so moved by Camille’s story and concerned with the growing prevalence of violent crime in Uptown as of late–especially in the area between the Counterbalance and the entrance to Lower Kinnear Park on Roy that is very poorly lit–that they’ve decided to organize a new Block Watch program to connect neighbors and hopefully prevent future assaults like this one.

Reader J.P. Flores, who is spearheading the effort, wrote in the comments,

I am fairly new to the area (10 months or so) But I love my Neighborhood. I haven’t seen anything about a Neighborhood Watch in this (Specifically from Counterbalance Park to Kinnear Park along Roy where most of the recent disturbances have been happening) And I would like to propose one. I am married and I don’t like that I have to worry about my wife walking to the store or even from the car to our apartment. I know there are a lot of other young couples in our community who I am sure feel the same way. I would also urge the businesses in this area (On The Boards, The Sitting Room etc..) to participate as it is their community as well. Shall we do something about it? Let’s make this neighborhood safe for our kids and all those who live in this beautiful part of town.

J.P. has agreed to organize the Block Watch if he can find enough interested parties, and hopefully local businesses, to participate. If you’d like to take park in the Counterbalance to Kinnear Block Watch, contact J.P. at jflor84@gmail.com or comment below.

For more information on Block Watches or to find one in your area, contact SPD Crime Prevention officer Contact Terrie Johnston at (206) 684-4741 or terrie.johnston@seattle.gov. If businesses in the area would like more information on what they can do to encourage public safety, they can contactFran Tello at (206) 684-4730 or francisco.tello@seattle.gov. Read up on ways to get involved with community crime prevention here and here.

One of our readers had their car broken into last night, despite the fact that it was parked in a private, off-street parking lot. Isaac wrote,

Last night my car window was smashed in on the passenger side. Happened at some time between 11pm and 7 am. I live midway up Queen Anne Ave near Aloha and don’t park in the street, I park in a parking-lot/carport with a security light and several other cars. Don’t know what they were after, nothing significant was taken (some loose change and an empty shopping bag), so whatever. I thought maybe they might have been trying to sleep in the car (being so cold the last few nights), but there was no evidence of that.

There have been many car break-ins on the hill these days, and so this report serves as a reminder to not leave any valuables in your car, even if they’re hidden. The best protection against break-ins is to remove anything valuable or tempting to thieves and park, if possible, near a light. Keep an eye out for suspicious behavior in the community, and get to know your neighbors. To find out if there’s a Block Watch program near you contact Seattle Police Department Crime Prevention Officer Terrie Johnston at (206) 684-4741 or terrie.johnston@seattle.gov.

“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.

One of our readers, virtualized, wrote in our forum yesterday that they saw a stranger leaving their backyard in the middle of the night. They wrote,

In the early morning hours (4 am) of 9/18 I caught a glimpse of someone just leaving my fenced backyard. Later that morning when walking my dog I noticed that almost all of the gates along the alley into my neighbors’ yards were open so I think someone was casing the neighborhood. This happened in the 3400 block of 12th and 13th Ave W. It’s time to be vigilant!

According to the Seattle Police Department, there are hundreds of Block Watch groups on Queen Anne. See our crime prevention story for more information on how to get involved.

If you have more information on this sighting, or have experienced a similar situation, leave a comment, participate in the forum, or email us at tips@queenanneview.com.