Why your house or your car will get broken into this summer

By jseattle ( report abuse )

Neighbor Mike wrote us before the holiday weekend:

My neighbor's house was broken into today in broad daylight. We are on 23rd and Prospect. Anyway, the cops said there are 3 kids going around robbing houses in this part of the Hill. I haven't contacted Seattle police to get details but was definitely wondering if you heard anything about an increase in home breakins of late? Doesn't sound like it's crime spree status just yet but definitely concerned.

Neighbor Mike, the SPD crime stats aren't a lot of help in figuring out what is going on in this kind of situation but they might shed some light. Here is last year's fever line for residential burglaries in the census tract near where this crime occurred.

You can see 2007's warm weather burglary up-tick. What causes this? We have a pile of assumptions: Homes have more open windows and open doors because it's finally nice out. Everybody is more active when the weather improves -- even criminals. It's easier for kids to make excuses to wander around unsupervised. School is winding down or out for summer giving the young entrepreneurs more free time. Kids need summer jobs.

There is our pile of assumptions. Make of it what you will but know that your concern is valid. But unless the economic downturn has more people turning to crime (which is possible), we'd guess that this kind of thing is a seasonal condition. It's a good reminder to lock your doors and not leave valuables in plain sight -- it's (probably!) not a good reason to move.

Permalink

tags: crime + add tags

posted on Tue, May 27, 2008 10:21 AM

last updated on Tue, Oct 14, 2008 10:20 AM

Comments

Comments are no longer allowed on this discussion.

byfubarseattle7 months ago	( report abuse ) ( reply )
Any details on what these kids look like?

byScott7 months ago	( report abuse ) ( reply )
FYI - I think they caught those 3 today: http://www.centraldistrictnews.com/2008/05/27/cd-scanner-5-27#emap

byScott7 months ago	( report abuse ) ( reply )
Sorry - here's a working link http://www.centraldistrictnews.com/2008/05/27/cd-scanner-5-27#emap

byK and/or J7 months ago	( report abuse ) ( reply )
Thanks Scott. Drove by three kids walking north near 23rd at 1p -- two of them sporting (the rather distinct) hoodies described in the arrest description. Sharp-dressed bandits. Probably not the first/last kids to think of the easy pickings around here.

byJake7 months ago	( report abuse ) ( reply )
So glad to hear this. We live on the block where they were arrested. Our next-door neighbors had woken up to someone (I have a guess now) trying to kick their door in a couple weeks ago. We'll sleep a little better now.

byfubarseattle7 months ago	( report abuse ) ( reply )
Wow, good to hear they were caught! Would be interesting to know if for sure, its the same 3 guys gay_curmudgeon posted about.

byGay Curmudgeon7 months ago

( report abuse ) ( reply )

FYI, there was another attempted break in over the weekend by what sounds like the same three youths at a neighbor's house on 20th Ave E between Aloha and E Roy. Then broke a window but didn't get into the home.

The youths knocked on the door of the house next to their eventual target and asked where the nearest AT&T store was (?). The neighbor, who could see the side of the house next door where the windows was broken, called police.

~GC