We won’t have stats from East Precinct for months but, trust us, we’re seeing a lot of car break-ins in the police reports for Capitol Hill. What we do have are anecdotes like this from neighbor Phobia in the CHS Classifieds:
I am trying to help my friend who was a victim of auto crime. Her car got broken into last night, Nov. 13, at the corner of Union and 11th. She lost her Coach tote bag with some important documents and a hard drive inside. All she wants are the things that have very little value to anyone. If you are out there, please take the cash and the bag but please send all other things back to her. I know it’s really rare that a criminal would read a neighborhood blog, but I don’t have other ideas. Thank you
The chances are very slim that Phobia’s friend will get her stuff back but the incident can do some good. You can take a lesson from this and make sure you remove anything and everything of value — and, really, everything — from your car.
While we don’t have the stats, we do have a powerful new tool we’re continuing to build on at our partner site SeattleCrime.com.
Here’s a map of the last 30-days of reported car prowls in the Capitol Hill area.
Locations are approximate — we only get block locations from SPD — but you can see the Hill hot spots. And, of course, for every prowl reported, there are probably three that somebody didn’t bother to call in.
So, time to clean up your car. Here’s a comment from neighbor Lolalaptop to inspire:
Rash of car break ins in my neighborhood
I am sorry to hear that your friend lost her valuables.
My car was broken into a few weeks ago, 13th and Mercer, and thankfully nothing of value was taken, but the interior had been thoroughly torn apart in what was probably a quick, expert manner. I posted a note about it in my building, and learned that the same had happened up and down the block to many, many cars.
Yes, there were visible bags (of paper to recycle, nothing of value!) in my car that may have led them to bother breaking into my car.
Lesson learned: my car is now fastidiously empty and will remain so. People are desperate and while you can’t stop them from breaking into your car, you can lessen the probability that they’ll bother with your car by keeping it visibly empty.
Be extra careful if you have a convertible. Somebody tried breaking into our car, and while nothing got stolen, they slit our roof in two spots. (Looks like they got interrupted, because the second slit was shorter.)
I told our then-building manager–we have since moved–and he said he would tell the rest of the tenants. (We were up on Roy.)
1) Leave NOTHING (and I mean nothing) visible in your car.
2) If you’re going to stash valuables in the trunk or under the seat, do so before you arrive at your parking spot, where people desirous of your property may be watching.
3) (optional) find cars that have violated 1 or 2 and park next to them.
My convertible roof was cut … almost a year ago now, on Summit Ave. From what I could tell, nothing was taken but the total damage was $1.5k+. Alot of money for 2 cuts.
Since then, our cars have been broken into 2 more times. I’ve noticed more police in the area, but it’s still not perfect. One of our cars now sits in gated parking.
I lived at 13th and Mercer 4 years ago, and car theft/ break-ins were rampant back then too (especially in the winter, lower foot traffic and darkness early to late?). I think its the large trees blocking what little street light there is…..
I was walking down Pine with a friend around 4:30 on 11/7 we heard a loud crash and glass fall to the ground from a green Subaru wagon parked in the lot of the empty apartment building on Pine and Belmont. We looked over and saw a white male go from the broken Subaru window into his black Honda accord, it looked like it was made in the 90’s. There was also a white female in the passenger seat, she was slumped over trying not to be seen. I stopped and got the license plate of the black Honday they were in, the people in the car clearly saw me doing this and made a quick exit from the area. I called the police immediatly to give them the description of what happened, exactly where as well as the people, their car, license plate and the direction the drove off in.
The police called me back later that day and asked if I would go to court if they got the people to say what I had seen, I said yes. Haven’t heard anything since then, hopefully they catch them and it stops some of the break-ins.
Thank you for taking action!
There is a lot of street parking in the area, as well as private, but unsecured parking. Plus, since it’s a “quieter”, more residential area, I think there are fewer people walking around to notice what goes on.
It’s so bizarre that people own cars and live on Capitol Hill. Why?
I work in Bellevue. And despite working literally next door to the transit center, bussing is not as convenient, time-efficient, or even cost-efficient as driving. In my car, I can get to work in 20-25 minutes. Bus takes about an hour (I have to transfer). Round-trip, the bus fare will cost $15 a week.
Getting to Woodinville, Snohomish, Sammamish, or Redmond (all places I have reason to go on a near-weekly basis) is either inconvenient or impossible without a car.
Around Cap Hill and to get to most areas of Seattle, I walk or take the bus. But once you get out into the surrounding areas, public transit is just not a very good option.
Some of us have friends and family outside of Seattle. And while Metro might have great coverage in-city (to a point– have you ever tried getting to the east side of the hill after 11pm on a weekned?), try getting anywhere outside of the Seattle-Bellevue area via bus on a weekend, or after 6pm on weekdays, or a holiday.
My car has had its front passenger window smashed twice in the past 6-8 weeks. The first time was at the corner of Bellevue and Pike and nothing was touched. My glove compartment looked like it hadn’t even been opened. The guy who repaired my window found a spark plug amidst the broken glass.
The second time was at Pike and Minor, right by Six Arms. My glove compartment had been strewn about but nothing was taken (I don’t keep anything other than maps and a flashlight in there). Actually, an almost-empty pack of birth control was taken. I hope someone isn’t going to rely on the remaining sugar pills that were in it to keep from getting knocked up. I do have some trash on the back seat (old parking stickers, those fliers for shows and clubs that are annoyingly plastered all over my car every damn day) which could very well be the reason my car was picked. Time to clean it out, for sure.
I was crushed the second time it happened as my insurance doesn’t cover glass work ($220 a pop). Bye bye, Christmas gifts!
I work right on the border of Kent and Auburn, up on the east hill of SE 272nd St. Have YOU ever tried to bus there, for a shift that might start at 4am? What about getting home, when your shift ends at 2am? Yeah, I didn’t think so. There isn’t even a bus route that comes within half a mile of my work, and I’m sure as hell not walking in that area in the middle of the night. My shift changes every six months, and there’s never a guarantee what I’ll get. A car is a necessity.
My window was smashed as well on late saturday night. Happened around Boren and Union and there were a few others up Union as well that got hit. They stuck to the front seat as I had larger more valuable stuff in the hatchback. Guess they didnt want to get stuck in a point where they couldnt run.
Didnt get too much. But, this is a pain in the buttocks and is prolly one or two people doing it.
It might help to note I have tinted windows which could have made them think there was something they couldn’t see.
Dumbest criminal on the Hill wants my car cover. I’ve woken up – not once but twice – to find my car with the cover pulled halfway off. I guess they pull it off halfway and only THEN realize it’s locked to the car. Who the heck wants an old, wet, soggy car cover? Guess I should be grateful I don’t wake up to broken windows like some folks, but I’m still shaking my head.