Tag Archives: police

South Precinct crime trends report released

SPDs South Precinct major crimes by month
SPD's South Precinct major crimes by month, click for full graph in PDF
SPD just released crime trend reports for all precincts recently. Some highlights from the South Precinct PDF report.

The top-line summary:

…there has been an overall increase in Major Crimes in South Precinct for the first four months of 2009, when compared with the same period in 2008. Robberies and aggravated assaults in South are both up through April in 2009, when compared with 2008, resulting in an overall increase in Violent Crimes.

Among Property Crimes, larceny/thefts have increased from the same period a year ago. Burglaries and vehicle thefts, on the other hand, are at the same level in 2009 through April as they were in 2008 in South Precinct.

SPDs South Precinct major crime trends
SPD's South Precinct major crime trends, click for full graph in PDF
And:

…despite increases in specific crimes, the trend line for crime in South Precinct is downward, with total Major Crimes declining each month in 2009 compared to the previous month and falling below the monthly April total from 2008. This is a different pattern from that seen in 2008, when Major Crimes increased in each of the first four months of the year.

Comparative, historical precinct stats are also available for each month individually as PDF and Excel files. We’ve also made them available as Google Docs spreadsheets.

Parties, crime, and alcohol touched on at NBHC meeting

The North Beacon Hill Council met tonight at 7 at the Beacon Hill library. Very briefly, here’s what went down:

  • Reps from DPD present talked about outreach and prep for the next planning meeting May 30th.
  • An ad hoc committee and an outreach subcommittee of the Neighborhood Planning Advisory Committee is seeking a six month delay in the DPD neighborhood planning process to get outreach to more of the community and focus more closely on neighborhood issues specifically instead of Southeast Seattle issues generally.
  • Beacon Mountain Playground is moving forward with phase 1 of the project.
  • An SDOT representative will be at the June meeting to provide an update.
  • Some background on the Sound Transit tunnel voids was given by Roger Pence. There are believed to be only two unfilled voids remaining and they are being actively worked on.
  • Some discussion of the pedestrian safety, zoning, and environmental issues around the new car wash occurred, leading into a proposal to form a committee to work on attracting additional businesses to the hill and a motion to write a letter to the DPD concerning the zoning conflict with the transit overlay area.
  • Police updates included notice that staffing hours will likely change soon, focusing more bodies during the times of day when they’re needed. Also brief discussion of car prowls, burglaries, graffiti, car accidents, prostitution, etc.
  • Asian Express’s liquor license renewal is mentioned to be coming up soon, and it may be an opportune time to work out a “good neighbor” agreement to reduce the sales of high-alcohol beverages.
  • Volunteers were sought to staff the NBHC booth at the Jefferson Park festival on June 6th.
  • Michael Richmond mentioned the possible upcoming city council and mayoral candidate forums this fall. Previous candidate forums are said to have been especially well attended here on the hill.
  • The Piñata Party will be on July 18th this year — the same day as the Sound Transit Link Light Rail grand opening. This may be both good and bad.
  • Newly elected board members:
    • Matthew Stubbs
    • Sara Hasan

Did I miss something or get something wrong? Let us know in the comments.

An open letter to the Seattle Police Department

Perhaps I am being grumpy, but we have enough crime in our neighborhood already. We don’t need to take responsibility for everyone else’s. I would consider it a simple mistake, but this is not the first time I’ve seen it happen.

Hello,

I have a concern about a post on your SPDBlotter website, titled “Shooting in the Beacon Hill neighborhood.”

The shooting was on Beacon Avenue, but it was not on Beacon Hill or in any way in the Beacon Hill neighborhood. Beacon Avenue continues well-beyond Beacon Hill, all the way to Renton. But Beacon Hill itself does not extend east of MLK way (which runs through the valley east of the Hill). The shooting site was southeast of even the most southern portion of Beacon Hill.

The Seattle city map calls that neighborhood Rainier View, and the shooting was near Rainier View Elementary School.

As someone who lives on Beacon Hill, it is frustrating to see crimes listed in our neighborhood that didn’t even happen here.

We would appreciate it if you would post crimes with more precise locations, and not give us “credit” for crimes that didn’t happen in our neighborhood.

Thanks!
Wendi
Beacon Hill Blog

Update: A suspect in the above mentioned shooting was arrested yesterday in the 5600 block of Beacon Avenue South — which is Beacon Hill.

Update 2: As of April 22, the headline on the original story has been changed to “Shooting in the Rainier View neighborhood”. Thanks, SPD!

Beacon Bits: Buses, Chinese food, and crime

Beacon Bits are collections of useful or interesting links that we’ll post periodically.