Beacon Hill Blog

South-end teen crime gang busted

SeattleCrime.com is reporting that a gang of South Seattle teen burglars, possibly responsible for over 60 break-ins in Seattle and Renton since 2007, has been broken up by police and prosecutors.

Things sound like they began to crumble for them with missteps after a couple of Beacon Hill burglaries. From the article (emphasis added):

Police were certainly familiar with the seven young men. Melchor Lucas was arrested in November 2007 following a botched burglary in the 5500 block of Beacon Ave S. When police searched a van used in the burglary, they found a 9mm pistol, which belonged to Lucas, hidden inside of a teddy bear. Lucas was also put on a list of prolific burglars being targeted for aggressive prosecution. The 17-year-old boy was a suspect in at least 10 burglaries, records say; the 16-year-old had been Tased by officers after he was caught breaking into a home near Aki Kurose Middle School; and Lee was also on probation for illegally carrying a loaded handgun.

Read the full article at SeattleCrime.com.

Beacon Bits: Bus delays and violent behavior

Some buses will be slightly harder to catch for the next few days. Photo from Seattle Municipal Archives.

• Did the “holiday” changes to Metro bus schedules this week catch you by surprise? Here is the information about the schedules through Wednesday. Note that the 38 is on a normal schedule, and the 36 and 60 are on “reduced weekday schedule.” To find out how the reduced schedule affects you, go to http://metro.kingcounty.gov/ and enter your route number, then look for the trips marked with “H”; those trips are cancelled.
• A Junior Achievement poll states that a disturbing number of teens are nonchalant about violence; Seattlest discusses this in the context of violence in South and Southeast Seattle.

Neighbors reaching out to teens

Jennifer Jukanovich spoke last night at the North Beacon Hill Council meeting. She described something she and her husband Dano had been a part of over the past several years. As the frequent summertime congregation of teens around the C&C Valero station on Beacon Ave. began to become an issue with neighbors, they decided to do something: Thursday evening BBQs. All teens invited. Free burgers and hotdogs. Sometimes movies projected onto the fence around their home at 18th & Stevens. It was declared a safe corner– one where personal (or gang-related) altercations were not allowed, but where everyone was welcome. Including, recently, a uniformed police officer, Eric Sano. His presence was initially quite controversial, but he’s become inspirational to some teens who previously didn’t know what they wanted to do.

The Jukanoviches have provided a place for these kids where they’re wanted, where they’re included, a place where they can feel safe. However, Dano and Jennifer may be moving away very soon, for three years, to Rwanda. She came to the NBHC meeting to let other people know what can be done, and share one way they’ve done it. And to encourage the BBQs to continue next summer, possibly without them.

And she stressed one piece of advice for people concerned about the teens encountered in their neighborhood: “Learn their names.”

Similar sentiments on a larger youth-involvement scale were expressed by the second guest speaker, Mariana Quarnstrom, president of the Southeast Seattle Crime Prevention Council (and yes, Mrs. Dr. Quarnstrom!). She shared her stories with several teen and youth programs out there, and the difficulties many of them struggle with to stay in operation.

She offered similar advice: Don’t drop your head and race past as if they didn’t exist. Disarm them with a “hello.”

Both firmly agreed: Get involved with teens. Let them know that someone cares.

Update: Amie of North Beacon Hill just posted a notice for the March For Youth planning meeting to be held tonight at 7:00 pm in the Rainier Vista Neighborhood House Paul Allen Room (4410 29th Ave S).