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In case you missed it: South Delridge/White Center crime update

April 26, 2009 6:30 pm
|    Comments Off on In case you missed it: South Delridge/White Center crime update
 |   Crime | Highland Park | Safety | White Center

It’s been a busy few days, so you might not have seen this on partner site White Center Now yet: If you live in south West Seattle, you’ll be interested in the crime updates — which included some good news! — plus Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg‘s remarks, as reported in our coverage of the South Delridge/White Center Community Safety Coalition meeting Thursday night. See the story here. (Also of interest to south West Seattle: The Highland Park Action Committee‘s monthly meeting is tomorrow, 7 pm, 11th/Holden.)

Fauntleroy SWAT situation over: Man surrenders

(previous as-it-happened coverage here)
8:13 PM BULLETIN: Just ended. More to come.

(WSB photo by Christopher Boffoli)
8:19 PM UPDATE: The standoff in Fauntleroy’s Endolyne business district lasted approximately 5 1/2 hours. According to our crews on the scene, it ended a few minutes ago as the suspect backed out of the house and surrendered, as police had been shouting through a bullhorn, asking him to do, for the past few hours. Just a short time earlier, police had said on the radio that they had re-established contact with him but he was “not cooperating.” WSB co-publisher Patrick Sand, who has been on the scene since even before the SWAT team arrived, says the man is well-dressed — wearing a tie and suspenders — and was taken to a medic unit that had been called to the scene a few hours ago to be on standby. We will have photos/video soon, but Patrick and WSB photojournalist Christopher Boffoli are still gathering more information now that the situation is over. Added: Seattle Police spokesperson Officer Renee Witt says the man was indeed, as we reported earlier, alone in the building. He says he was walking around with a shotgun – the sighting that touched off the standoff hours earlier – because he thought there were transients in the building. No evidence of transients, police say.

8:51 PM: That’s video of the man as police walked him around the corner toward the medic unit. (We don’t always show faces at arrest scenes, but we are following the rules implemented in all the conventional-media newsrooms in which we worked in recent years: Faces only if you are charged with the crime, confess to the crime, or there is no doubt you are the person who did what you are being arrested for – in other words, you are caught in the act – and that would apply here, with there being no doubt this is the man who held police at bay for 5-plus hours.)

9:06 PM: The last SWAT unit is leaving the scene, and traffic is moving through the area again. As we mentioned in our as-it-happened coverage, Endolyne Joe’s (which was behind the police line) decided to close for the night and send its staff home to be on the safe side, but should be open again for breakfast (and beyond) in the morning. Meantime, we are reviewing video shot at the scene earlier, to add a few more clips here from the 5-hour-plus standoff, and also will be watching the county jail register to see if the man arrested tonight shows up there.

9:54 PM: One thing that came up repeatedly during the standoff was the issue of the loud bangs heard several times, audible from some distance away – those were from devices police can choose to set off during situations in which they need to distract or confuse the person/s they are dealing with. WSB photojournalist Christopher Boffoli got two images related to the use of these – since police sent out a warning of sorts on the radio before setting them off, here’s an officer covering his ears, followed by some smoke in the air afterward:

You can also see some smoke clearing in this video clip, which also includes the sound of the bullhorn orders police were shouting at the suspect:

Here’s a clip of two of the vehicles the SWAT team brought to Fauntleroy this afternoon:

SUNDAY NIGHT NOTE: As of 10:55 pm Sunday, no one by the name we believe to be that of the arrested man has been booked into King County Jail. We will be checking with Seattle Police first thing in the morning to see if they have information on whether he is still in the hospital or whether he was released.

Updates: SWAT team in Fauntleroy standoff, roads blocked

(scroll down for newest photos, info)

ORIGINAL 2:47 PM REPORT: Checking on multiple reports (thanks for the calls and e-mails) of major police activity in the Endolyne business district area of Fauntleroy. We’re told roads are blocked off in the area. One neighbor describes the scene: “Multiple cop cars cutting off every street in my neighborhood and police with guns drawn running around especially up by the bakery/restaurant.” We’re heading down the hill now to find out what’s going on.


View Larger Map

2:59 PM: Still no official information as it is a very chaotic scene but two citizen reports suggest it involves a suspect who may have a gun. So DEFINITELY avoid the area TFN. We can’t get close from the west side so we’re going around the other way. Scanner indicates special units are being used here including SWAT (en route if not there yet) – a negotiator is apparently on the scene. Scanner says suspect has told police no one else is with him.

3:22 PM UPDATE: An officer at the scene told us the person they’re all focused on is believed to be in the alley behind Endolyne Joe’s. The SWAT team has just arrived — adding a photo in a moment.

3:54 PM UPDATE: No major updates from the scene. Police all in position, though some of them have moved around. Scanner traffic within the past several minutes indicated the suspect was still talking via phone with police. And on a practical note, this is affecting traffic toward and from the ferry dock AND traffic between Fauntleroy and Marine View Drive/west Arbor Heights, so keep that in mind.

4:12 PM UPDATE: To further clarify, co-publisher Patrick Sand, who’s our reporter/photographer on the scene right now, says he’s been told the suspect is in a 2-story apartment building on the alley behind Endolyne Joe’s. Just in case that helps you further figure out where all this is unfolding. Adding a photo – note we are cropping our SWAT team photos as it’s important in standoff situations not to show police’s exact positions, lest a suspect be monitoring media (of any kind):

4:36 PM UPDATE: Police are now using a bullhorn to try to get the suspect to re-establish contact. From comments (if you haven’t read it there already), Rick is at the scene and forced to stay at his workplace while the standoff continues:

I’m at work in the middle of this, i’m inside the taped area, my office wall adjacent to this alley. There are a handful of swat patrol guys with machine guns outside my window. I tried to leave and they told me to go back inside and wait. I’m watching from my window…

WSB photojournalist Christopher Boffoli is also now at the scene, which we have covered from both sides. (After arriving, he took the next photo, added Saturday evening:)

5:30 PM UPDATE: No major developments. Standoff still under way. Police still trying to get suspect to re-establish contact. The loud noises you hear are being made by police, deliberately, we can verify. There are still conflicting anecdotal reports from the scene whether anyone was believed to be in the house with the man.

6:01 PM UPDATE: Again, we’re not doing play-by-play from the scene because (as discussed in comments) there are some details that it’s safer not to report publicly while these situations are unfolding. Police are still using a bullhorn to try to get the man to respond; the building he’s believed to be in is the 4-plex immediately west of the commercial building at 45th/Wildwood.

6:09 PM UPDATE: SPD spokesperson Officer Renee Witt just confirmed to us – after we called to triplecheck – that what we have been reporting for hours is accurate: NO HOSTAGES.

7:10 PM UPDATE: Status quo at the scene. In news of nearby businesses, we called Endolyne Joe’s to see if they were planning to be open IF this ends before too long, and Mike told us no, they just decided a short time ago to send everybody home, to be on the safe side. So they are closed for the rest of the night, no matter what. Kitty-corner in the same intersection, though, people are coming and going from Guadalajara – that’s on the other side of the police tape.

7:38 PM UPDATE: Police at least briefly heard from the suspect for the first time in a while, according to the scanner. And without going into further detail, let’s just say this could go on for quite some time. Just saying that so if you live in the area and have been waiting to make your plans for the evening based on whether this might end sometime soon, you can plan otherwise. We will probably start a new story for evening updates on this, since there’s another story we’ve been holding off on publishing to keep this atop the page; when we do that, we will add the URL here, but till you see that, we’ll add any new info here.

8:12 PM UPDATE: It’s over – the man came out and surrendered. Starting a separate post to cover that. Find it here.

West Seattle Crime Watch: Anybody see who did this?

Just out of the WSB inbox, from Kelly:

My friends and I were driving back from Alaska Junction to our home in the Westwood area right before midnight on the Friday night (4/24).

We removed 2 signs and a cone from the middle of the road. They seemed to be placed there deliberately so that cars could hit them. The location was 35th Ave between Raymond and Juneau Streets (map).

I was wondering if you could post this on the site to see if anyone witnessed people in the act of placing these in the street. I feel a lot better knowing these items are out of the street and no one is hurt. We have seen our share of car accidents in the neighborhood recently.

From the courthouse: Skyelar Hailey sentenced in trespass case

(WSB photos by Christopher Boffoli)
We’re at the King County Courthouse, where 18-year-old West Seattle repeat offender Skyelar Hailey has been sentenced in the plea agreement he reached following his arrest in an Admiral neighborhood last November (the search that day started with a burglary, but an evidence problem resulted in the plea bargain). We had long planned to cover this anyway but the case ratcheted up a notch after what happened earlier this week – he had three warrants out for his arrest, related to theft and domestic-violence-protection-order cases, and was caught by police Wednesday night, one night after he allegedly bolted when they tried to pull him over. In court this afternoon, deputy prosecuting attorney Gary Ernsdorff said Hailey admitted to possessing the bag of marijuana found with him during his arrest that night. As for the sentencing – the prosecution asked for 30 extra days of jail time; the defense pointed out he hasn’t formally been charged with anything related to what happened this week, and also said he’s living with his girlfriend and her parents in West Seattle, pursuing a GED and looking for a job. In the end, King County Superior Court Judge Jim Rogers sentenced Hailey to time already served (he spent 16 days in jail after the November arrest, one day in the domestic-violence case in February, and has been in for two days so far since Wednesday’s arrest), plus an extra 240 hours of community service, and two years’ probation. As for how much longer he stays in jail now, depends on what happens with the warrants for which he was arrested; we are checking with the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for the status on those. (4:40 pm update: PAO spokesperson Dan Donohoe says Hailey would go to each court with jurisdiction in the warrant cases – Juvenile and Municipal – to “resolve” them; no charges filed as of yet in anything related to the Wednesday night arrest.) WSB photojournalist Christopher Boffoli joined me in covering today’s hearing, and took the photographs included in this story. — Tracy Record, WSB editor

Update: Police search in Gatewood area

Thanks to those who’ve e-mailed about a police search under way on the east side of Gatewood – west of 35th, centering around SW Kenyon. There is a report of possible shots fired but there is no report of a shooting victim at this point. A K-9 unit is involved in the search and has followed tracks to a building on 35th SW. 10:49 PM UPDATE: Commenter says the shots were heard at 34th/Kenyon (map). Still no indication on 911 log of any actual shooting victim. Sounds like the search trail is stalling.

Update: Police search in Morgan Junction area

Have just received a couple of notes – including this from Nathan:

I was just out in my front yard and saw at least three cop
cars circling the area. Two officers stopped to ask if I had seen a
white male, blond hair with a two-tone jacket come by. They indicated
that there was a break-in a couple blocks north on 39th (somewhere
near 39th and Graham or Morgan) and they are conducting a search.


Also word of police presence near 35th/Morgan. Checking to see if we can find out more.

7:44 PM UPDATE: From Ashley, in comments:

We’re in the 36th and Morgan area (map). Our neighbor’s place was broken into, hence the police presence. She was home…and the punks walked right in through the garage in the back. Everyone be careful! It’s amazing that this stuff is now taking place in broad daylight…walking right in the door. Bad enough we have our cars broke into on a normal basis!

Also tonight: County prosecutor Satterberg back in West Seattle

Another reminder about a big event tonight — King County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg is scheduled to speak at tonight’s meeting of the South Delridge/White Center Community Safety Coalition (6 pm, St. James Place, 9421 18th SW; map). If you’ve got tough questions about the criminal-justice system and how crime suspects are handled after their arrests, he’s the elected official with the answers — although some of the decisions about sentences and criminal law ultimately are up to state legislators and the Governor. Here’s our report on his recent speech to the Rotary Club of West Seattle (and here’s our followup with the wild West Seattle car “chase” video he showed the Rotarians).

Update: Police arrest Skyelar Hailey; he’s now in jail

ORIGINAL 10:57 PM REPORT: Just got a trustable tip that Skyelar Hailey, the 18-year-old repeat offender who fled police trying to arrest him on warrants last night, resulting in an air/ground/K-9 search, has just been taken into custody in the Admiral area. Will update when officially confirmed, though that might not be till he shows up on the jail register. The photo at left, by the way, is the official mug shot from Hailey’s last jail booking in February, according to the source who sent it to us tonight (our requests to get it through official channels had all been denied). Here’s our archived coverage, newest to oldest.

2:10 AM UPDATE: Confirmation just appeared on the King County Jail Register — Hailey was booked into the jail half an hour ago.

THURSDAY MORNING UPDATE: Bail information is updated on Hailey’s jail listing — “bail denied” for the two theft-related warrants, $5,000 bail for the warrant related to the protection-order violation.

West Seattle Crime Watch: Neighbors both hit by burglar(s)

Clayton e-mailed WSB to get the word out that he and his neighbors were both burglarized on Tuesday; they live near 9th/Henderson in Highland Park (map).

ADDED WEDNESDAY NIGHT: We also have word of a Sunday night burglary at California/Hill in the Admiral District.

West Seattle Crime Watch: Skyelar Hailey search continues

To recap, police continue looking for 18-year-old Skyelar Hailey, a convicted burglar and repeat offender who they tried to stop last night to arrest on outstanding warrants — he ran off, with a car and motorcycle getting damaged in the process; a helicopter and K-9 team joined the search (WSB as-it-happened coverage here) but he got away. One commenter in our previous report says police are showing his mug shot to area residents. Seattle Police so far have denied our requests for that mug shot (as explained in this morning’s report), but we have received several unofficial photos, including the one at left, and links to what’s on a MySpace page now as well as an old school photo. We also are told the warrants for his arrest are for two counts of theft and violating a domestic-violence protection order; the car he was driving last night, which we are told belongs to a friend of his, is a maroon 1991 Honda Accord. As for any additional description – 6’2″ or taller, and about 180 pounds, with a gap between his front teeth. If you have any information on his whereabouts, police want to hear from you immediately (911 is probably your best bet in this case).

West Seattle Crime Watch: Metal-theft suspect alert

Out of the WSB inbox, from KC:

Caught & confronted a metal thief heading south in the alleys around Brandon & Fauntleroy. Asked him if he had permission to take the things he was taking. He said no. We told him to put it back, because he was stealing. Called the police immediately & reported it.

Read on for the description of the man KC confronted, and more details on the incident:Read More

Update on Scatt the cat, White Center attack survivor

(photo from Pasado’s Safe Haven website)
One day after first word of the attack that left Scatt the Cross Church cat in the hospital, and put his alleged attacker in jail, there’s an online update from Pasado’s Safe Haven, the local animal-advocacy group that has offered to foot Scatt‘s medical bills. Scatt’s gone through surgery and is now being evaluated for possible peritonitis. Read the latest here. 6 PM UPDATE: First-degree animal-cruelty charges are now filed in this case.

Followup: Post-chopper search, Skyelar Hailey still being sought

We’re starting a new story today for updates, if and when we get them, on the search for 18-year-old convicted West Seattle burglar Skyelar Hailey, who police say fled late last night when they tried to arrest him on warrants, touching off an air and ground search that we covered here as it happened. Commenters have asked if we can get his mug shot from police; we have asked, but right now, they are not releasing it. From working in Seattle media for almost two decades, we can tell you mug shots have never been routinely available around here, except for three circumstances: 1. A very high-profile search (murder suspect, kidnapper); 2. Registered sex offenders, whose photos are included in the searchable online database; 3. If the criminal has served state prison time, as an adult (in which case the state Department of Corrections will consider releasing a photo). Commenters have provided this MySpace link which they say is his – it includes a small photo (and profanity, NSFW). What you see at left is a section of the publicly accessible state court system webpage showing some of the cases against Hailey; others not shown date back to 2002, when he would have been just 12. Meantime, we checked with the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office to see how last night’s incident might affect the Friday sentencing scheduled for Hailey after a plea deal in the November Admiral incident (prosecutors didn’t have enough evidence to prove he was in the burglarized house, so the guilty plea was for criminal trespass); spokesperson Dan Donohoe tells WSB, “Eluding police would violate part of the plea agreement, and if there is probable cause that he eluded police, then we would use that as a basis for requesting a longer sentence.” We’ll continue tracking this through the day and will add any new information as we get it.

12:33 PM UPDATE: Just talked with Sgt. Sean Whitcomb, who runs the SPD media unit; he says the department’s current policy is that it just doesn’t release mug shots except in circumstances such as, a particularly violent crime is involved. So still no mug shot. But a WSBer has uploaded what they say is an old school photo of Hailey to Twitpic; grainy but you can see it here.

Update: West Seattle helicopter search, for a well-known suspect

helicopterwatch.pngThere’s a search under way right now northwest of Morgan Junction – we’re not entirely sure how it started, but it sounds like they are looking for a known burglary suspect, and vandalism involving a motorcycle is part of what’s been discussed on the scanner. A K-9 team is assisting in the search, and it sounds like the law-enforcement helicopter Guardian One is on its way. 12:05 AM UPDATE: We’re monitoring the scanner – no progress to report but as commenters note (and as we can hear in the distance), the helicopter has arrived in West Seattle to join the search. 12:39 AM UPDATE: As discussed in comments, the chopper has left. No indication if there’s been an arrest. We have a message out to police; if we don’t get official information in the next few hours (regarding the suspect status and the nature of whatever incident touched off the search), we’ll continue pursuing it later in the morning.

ADDED 8:45 AM WEDNESDAY: From Sgt. Jeff Durden at the Southwest Precinct:

Last night at 1125 pm, patrol officers attempted to stop a vehicle at California/Findlay driven by Skyelar Hailey and arrest him for his outstanding warrants. He ran from the vehicle which rolled into another car (parked) and then cutting through yards, knocked over a motorcycle damaging it. Despite K9 and Guardian One searches Skyelar escaped. The vehicle he was driving had three passengers who apparently drove away while officers were chasing Skyelar on foot. The parked vehicle was also gone.

We have reported on Skyelar Hailey, an 18-year-old with a long criminal record, here before – in fact, he is to be sentenced this Friday in a case we wrote about exactly one week ago. We were planning to be in court for that and will be checking on how this incident will affect that scheduled hearing.

Toplines from West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting

At the Southwest Precinct for the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting (which has the biggest crowd we’ve seen in a long time, more than 30 people):


View Larger Map

Beth Gappert, precinct liaison for the City Attorney’s Office, says the owner of the business best known as “the vacuum shop” in the 5200 block of Delridge (Google Street View image above) has pleaded guilty to Seattle Municipal Code violations, as the result of an ongoing investigation involving stolen goods. No jail time at this point – a “deferred sentence” – but she says he is under “tight scrutiny.” (Added 8:09 pm: Talked to Gappert after the meeting – the Municipal Code violations included “engaging in business without a used-goods license” and “failure to retain property for 30 days” – she explains that businesses dealing in used goods are supposed to hold onto them for that long before turning around and selling them.)

Also so far tonight, Southwest Precinct Sgt. Jeff Durden has had two announcements of note: First, a crackdown on suspicious activity in Westcrest Park (he says community activists and Parks crews will be there this Thursday to do some shrubbery trimming to cut down on the hiding places); he also says that Community Police Team officer Kevin McDaniel has added more duties – he is now also responsible for the three major Seattle Housing Authority apartment buildings in West Seattle.

Plus: Sgt. Durden had a few extra notes from last week’s burglary at closed-since-2007 Fairmount Park Elementary — two of the six suspects arrested were adults, and both were booked into jail (the police report from that incident also says there had been two break-ins at the school in the days before that one — nothing significant had been taken but a broken window from those break-ins may have figured into this one).

The Crime Prevention Council also now has its own e-mail address, if you have a question or idea: westseattlecpc@gmail.com

From White Center Now: Man arrested for attacking church cat

Just published at our partner site White Center Now: The King County Sheriff’s Office just sent word that a man’s been arrested after allegedly attacking a White Center church’s cat – which may not survive the resulting injuries. Read the story here. 6:30 PM UPDATE: This case is getting TV coverage too – here’s the channel 4 link, for starters.

West Seattle Crime Watch: Check your bank/card statements

A cautionary tale just in from Deana, who says what happened to her is a good reason to remind you to closely check your card/bank statements – read on:Read More

3 jailed in West Seattle Senior Center break-in – and 100+ others?

A big break in a case we first told you about last week: Three Everett men arrested in Snohomish County on Sunday are suspected in the Senior Center of West Seattle break-in two weeks ago – and may be linked more than 100 other commercial burglaries in the region, according to the Marysville detective with whom we just spoke, even another senior-center break-in (in Arlington). Marysville Detective Vinson says the suspects are a 49-year-old man, a 44-year-old man, and that man’s 22-year-old son. We’ll be looking up their criminal histories shortly. The Senior Center burglary two weeks ago not only cost the facility in The Junction hundreds of dollars in cash and gift cards, it also left behind thousands of dollars in damage, including holes kicked in walls. Detective Vinson says the multiple agencies now working on potential cases against these three are hoping to be able to develop more leads from the public “putting these (suspects) at the scene” of the various crimes; in the Senior Center case, there’s surveillance video, as seen in our original report. According to Detective Vinson, by the way, these are the same arrests mentioned in this brief Everett Herald report this morning; he says the suspects are believed to have primarily taken cash in most of the break-ins, and items seized after the arrest included their “tools of the trade.” We just checked the Snohomish County Jail register. All three are still behind bars, with bail set at $100,000 for the oldest and youngest suspects; the other man’s bail is listed as $300,000 for each of two potential burglary counts, so far. Checking online court records, we found that all three have lengthy criminal histories.

ADDED 11:48 AM: If you thought breaking into a Senior Center was outrageous, check this KIRO TV report – same suspects, though it doesn’t mention the West Seattle break-in. It includes surveillance video of a pub burglary in which the loot was $4,500 in donations to the Muscular Dystrophy Association. And it notes that the three apparently were caught because one of the suspects bragged about their prolific criminal activities.

West Seattle Crime Watch: Child left in car; store robbed; more

From our review of the past week’s reports at the Southwest Precinct:

A 41-year-old Highland Park woman got a warning from police after leaving her two-year-old daughter alone in the family car while she shopped at Westwood Village Target. Police were called after passersby saw the little girl alone in a Nissan Frontier, strapped into a rear-facing booster seat, car doors locked, all windows rolled up except for one cracked open half an inch. While one officer went in to ask the store to put out a page, another stayed at the car to figure out how to get the child out. The mother answered the page and told police, according to the report, “She was asleep and I didn’t want to wake her up”; meantime, another officer set off the vehicle alarm and noted that the child got out of her seat, crawled across the cab, played with the gear shift, and opened a door for the officer. After police explained to the mother “in great detail how much danger she put her child in by leaving her unattended in a vehicle … (and) explained the exceptionally high levels of auto theft that occur in the area,” they let her go with a warning, but said the report would be forwarded to CPS. In fact, five auto-theft cases were among the other West Seattle reports we reviewed, as was a 7-11 robbery, and more – read on:Read More

Chief Sealth break-in/vandalism: Help solve a $200,000 crime

We usually do not publish complete “tags” on WSB, as it’s believed publicity may further encourage tagging vandals, but this time, police actually are asking us to show you these two photos in hopes you might be able to solve a costly crime: One month after we first told you about a break-in and vandalism spree at the permanent Chief Sealth High School site (WSB coverage here and here), currently closed for renovation work, Southwest Precinct Detective Nick Bauer tells WSB the damage now totals $200,000; much of that damage was from a fire set by the burglar(s), but they also broke windows, skylights, and even some equipment in the library. Believed to be linked to the break-in: Graffiti vandalism on the roof, as seen above and below:

What police are asking is this: If you have seen graffiti/tagging in a style resembling either of these photos – or if even better, you have any idea who the “writer(s)” might be – please give them a call. CrimeStoppers of Puget Sound is a good place to start, since you can tip anonymously: 206-343-2020 or 800-222-TIPS. SPD also has a non-emergency line, 206-625-5011. Just one of the ways in which your tip could help: Police can check their databases for known taggers, and if it turns out that something you have seen has already been linked to a certain offender, that may help them make the connection that cracks this case. Side note: The white blob in the top photo is our edit to block a profanity; investigators wonder if “f— the merger ” might be a reference to the end result of the work that is under way now, not only renovating CSHS but also building a new Denny Middle School on the same campus.

West Seattle Crime Watch: Another burglary on 42nd SW

April 18, 2009 4:14 pm
|    Comments Off on West Seattle Crime Watch: Another burglary on 42nd SW
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

Just out of the WSB inbox:

This is Sean and Matthew from the 5200 block of 42nd Ave SW. [map] Our home was burglarized at about 11 AM on 4/16. The thieves kicked in the back door and stole a 52″ flat screen, laptop, Playstation, DVDs, games, and some jewelry.

That’s one day after Dan in the 4400 block of 42nd reported a break-in (part of this roundup). Reminder – if you’re concerned about crime in your neighborhood, this Tuesday night is your chance to talk with police leadership and community advocates at the next meeting of the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council, 7 pm, Southwest Precinct (35th/Webster).

Sunrise Heights meeting: Hughes School; sex offenders; more

April 17, 2009 2:35 am
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 |   Crime | Fun stuff to do | Sunrise Heights | West Seattle news

From Thursday night’s quarterly meeting of the Sunrise Heights Neighborhood Association (this area is roughly between High Point and Westwood, between 35th and Delridge):

E.C. HUGHES SCHOOL’S FUTURE: Sage Wilson of the SHNA board has been talking with Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association about applying for a city Department of Neighborhoods grant to study community interest in the closed Hughes school. (After temporarily housing South Lake High School the past two years, it’s vacant again this year.) The grant would facilitate open houses for public input on the site, to figure out if there’s enough interest to look into buying it, since it’s on the Seattle Public Schools surplus-property list. Neighbors’ general consensus was that it’s a good idea to talk about this before a development proposal comes in from outside the neighborhood. Sage will head up the grant-writing effort, to meet a July deadline.

SEX OFFENDERS: Detective Bob Shilling from the Seattle Police Sex Offender Detail briefed the neighborhood about how to find information online, as well as what families really need to know about sex crimes: Long story short, very few involve “strangers.” As for sex offenders in local neighborhoods, you can use this website to see if any level-1 or level-2 offenders are living near you (it’s linked from the bottom of our Crime Watch page if you ever need to find it again); the West Seattle overview is that the Southwest Precinct area has 163 right now, fewer than any other precinct in the city (the largest number is 343 in the North Precinct). Statewide, there are 20,178 registered sex offenders.

POKER TOURNAMENT FUNDRAISER: This Saturday night is SHNA’s 4th annual Texas Hold’em Poker Night at the social hall of Our Lady of Guadalupe, $15/person or $120/table of 9. Must be 21 or older. More info on the SNHA website.