Yesterday we reported that several women in the neighborhood have been suspiciously approached and propositioned by a strange man who was later found to be driving a stolen vehicle. Based on reports from many women who encountered this man, now referred to as the “Queen Anne Creeper”, SPD was able to locate and arrest him, and is asking any women who may have been approached by him but never reported the incident to come forward. In a letter addressed to the community yesterday, crime prevention officer Terrie Johnston wrote:

Many Block Watch captains & contacts contacted me over the past 3 days to confirm reports of a white male with a goatee driving around Queen Anne and approaching women, (some with children) and asking for directions to Magnolia. In some of the instances he made suggestive, and inappropriate sexual comments to the women. You may have read about this individual in local blogs. A patrol officer, Off. Alstrin attempted to keep the neighbors informed about this guy, and information about the incidents was shared with West Precinct personnel. Here’s the great part! I shared many of your tips (phone calls and emails)  with Offs. Hockett and Warner of our Comm. Police Team. Through their excellent follow-up skills, and using your tips they were able to identify the suspect and he was arrested. Now asking for directions is not a crime, so what’s the big deal? Well, he was definitely unnerving the women he contacted, and he was acting suspiciously. But through the keen observations made by community members, it was learned that he was in a stolen vehicle. We came to find out he is under DOC [Department of Corrections] supervision, and we trust the judge will be interested in his recent activities. The CPT officers credit, in large part, the good information and tips that you called or emailed me about, as assisting them w/getting positive identification on him, witness statements about the stolen vehicle, etc.

Johnston asks anyone who recalls being approached by this individual to contact Officer David Hockett at (206) 684-7720 or email Erik Warner at erik.warner@seattle.gov and make a statement. Johnston added:

We would like to document as many of the incidents as possible for potential prosecution. Many women called to say they regretted they never called 9-1-1 when they were approached by this individual, so this is another reminder that if something feels weird, or suspicious to you-please trust your gut and call it in to 911. 911 is not only for reporting emergencies, but for reporting suspicious behaviors, people, vehicles, etc. Thanks for caring so much about your neighborhood, and for sharing info with your neighbors.

Seattle Police Crime Prevention officers can be reached at (206) 684-4741.

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.

In response to several break-ins and burglaries in Queen Anne (see here, here and here) and Magnolia since the start of the new year, SPD Crime Prevention Coordinator Terrie Johnston wrote in with a few tips for protecting yourself, and your home, from crime. She wrote,

Lessons learned from them could be to use the locks and latches you have. Many of the entries are being made through doors or windows left open or unlocked (for the nanny, for the dogs, etc). If you have an alarm system, activate it, as at least a few of the burglarized homes had alarm systems which were not turned on. If you do discover your home has been burglarized, please do not clean up the crime scene. We need to be able to get usable information to lead to the prosecution of the criminals. Lastly, please do not hesitate to report suspicious activity to 9-1-1, even if what you are reporting is not an emergency.

As always, Terrie is a available for free home security surveys and Block Watch group organizations. She’s booked through the end of the month, but is happy to arrange appointments in February or answer questions via phone (206-684-4741) or email (terrie.johnston@seattle.gov).

Now that Thanksgiving weekend has passed, the holiday season has officially kicked off! And with the spike in shopping comes an expected spike in crime, so the Seattle Police Department is offering these tips for personal safety and crime prevention during the holidays. Their pointers include everything from safety precautions to take while shopping and using automated teller machines, to how to prevent car prowls, a sight we’ve seen on the hill quite frequently these days. SPD holiday safety tips:

CAR PROWL PREVENTION
• When you exit or enter your parked vehicle, take a moment to look around the area.
• Turn off and lock your car whenever you have to walk away from it. This includes at gas pumps, ATM machines, etc. Never leave your car idling.
• Before leaving your parked car, always remove the keys, roll up the windows and lock the car.
• Leave No Valuables in Your Car. Never leave valuables in your car. Items of little or no value to you still look inviting to a thief. Even pocket change is enough of an enticement for some thieves.
• If you must leave valuables in your car (say you’re out shopping and still have some stops to make), make sure that nothing of value is within plain view. Place items in your car trunk out of sight. Do this when you get to your car, rather than waiting until you park at your next stop.  Often, people will arrive at their destination and then put items in the trunk. They’ve just shown anyone who may be around that they just put valuables in the trunk and then walked away from their vehicles. So, if you are going to put something in your trunk, place it in before you get to your destination so you don’t show everyone that you’ve just put valuables in your trunk.
• Don’t leave accessories visible in your car. You may have taken the Laptop or IPod in with you, but if you leave the USB cables for your laptop or earbuds for the IPod in the back seat, the offender may think those items are in the car and break in anyway.
• Think about how the GPS is mounted in your car. If the mounting for the GPS is visible, the thief may think the GPS is in the glove box or under the seat and may break in to try to get it.  Have removable mounting for the GPS and put that out of sight as well.
• If possible, store your car in a closed and locked garage. Make a habit of locking your garage door and car doors.
• If your car is stored in a carport or parked near your house, leave your exterior lights on throughout the night.
• If you park on the street, choose a well-lit, open space even if it means adding additional street/yard lighting & trimming back trees/bushes that block your view of your vehicle.
• If you park in a paid lot, use lots that have attendants.
• Consider replacing the light fixture closest to your car with a motion detector unit. Motion detectors are a good psychological deterrents since the normal assumption of a person seeing a light come on is that someone has seen them. Additionally, the light makes the prowler or thief more visible.
• You may want to consider an alarm system for the car. An alarm will not prevent anyone from gaining entry or damaging the car, but the noise of the alarm will draw attention to the car and therefore to the thief. Additionally, many alarm systems have a blinking red light mounted on the dash. That visible indicator may be a deterrent to would be thieves.

PERSONAL SAFETY WHILE HOLIDAY SHOPPING
• Take a friend along when doing holiday shopping. Using the buddy system reduces your chances of being a victim of robbery.
• When paying by cash, only take out the amount needed and keep the remainder out of view.  It’s always a good idea to carry minimal amounts of cash, regardless of the time of year.
• Always maintain positive Control over your items. Don’t tempt a thief by leaving your purse, wallet or packages unattended. It only takes a second to grab them.
• Beware of strangers who bump, shove or get too close. Pickpockets may use these diversions to lift your wallet.
• Be cautious of those you don’t know who offer to carry bags and packages for you. Depending on where you shop, store personnel or mall security may offer assistance in carrying packages to your car or escorting you to your vehicle.
• If you have to return to your car to store purchases, place them in the trunk out of sight. Do this when you get to your car, rather than waiting until you park at your next stop. Gifts and other valuables should never be left in clear view.
• Before returning to your car, make sure you’re not over-burdened with packages. Have your car keys in hand to avoid “searching” for them when you reach your car.

WHEN USING AN AUTOMATED TELLER MACHINE
• Only take out the amount you need, rather than the maximum you can get.
• Don’t walk away from the cash machine counting your money. That’s an invitation to someone who may not have the best of intentions in mind.
• Secure your money and your bankcard or credit card back in your wallet or pocket before leaving the ATM.
• Beware of strangers hanging around the ATM. Wait until they leave, or consider using an alternate cash machine. You should report suspicious people to bank personnel, mall security and/or police.
• Using the ATM inside a major grocery store might be a better alternative to using one on the street, especially during hours of darkness.
• Always keep your PIN number separate from your bank and/or credit card.

Yesterday we posted information a reader provided about recent and frequent car prowls in the parking lot of the apartment complex where he lives. Over the last month there have been several reports of break-ins and robberies on the hill. Today we received an email from another reader reporting suspicious activity. Brian, who lives on the east side of the hill, witnessed two men in a parked car seemingly casing the neighborhood near Taylor Ave N and and Lee St. He writes,

I came home Thursday ~4:30 to find two unfamiliar men parked in my neighbor’s spot. They
backed out slowly and then crept down the alley, stopping frequently on the way out. My neighbor observed the same car, same behavior later that evening. I went for a walk shortly thereafter and found them parked on the next block, lighting up in their car. Needless to say, quite a pattern of suspicious behavior from people/car I don’t recognize from the neighborhood.

Brian called in the information, but has not yet heard back from the police. If you see anything suspicious going on, talk to your neighbors about it, find out if there’s a Block Watch program nearby, and if need be, contact Seattle Police Department Crime Prevention Officer Terrie Johnston at (206) 684-4741 or terrie.johnston@seattle.gov. Thanks to Brian for the tip!

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.