UPDATE 3: A HUGE thank you to the Seattle Police Department and Seattle Fire Department over the last week or more. It’s spells like this that remind you just how important these basic institutions are for communities like ours. (This is not intended to be a political statement.)
UPDATE 2: As promised, here’s the Seattle Police’s Blotter post on the success, or lack thereof, of the most recent Key Bank bank robber. Also, here’s the story from the Ravenna Blog.
UPDATE 1: The Police have one person in custody according to their more recent tweet. We’ll add a link to their Blotter post, which we presume will be forthcoming later this afternoon with more details.
Officers have one person in custody near 9th Avenue NE and NE 42nd St in connection w/ Wedgwood bank robbery. More to come.
We’re just getting word that Key Bank was likely robbed again! Please keep your eye out for the suspect, described below by the Police in their Twitter post. We’ll post more information as we get it. What’s going on here!
Officers searching for bank robber near 73rd/35th NE. Masked susp. is w/m 20-30s, blk jacket/blue jns/blk&ylw shoes. Susp displayed a gun.
UPDATE 2/27/13: KIRO 7 has this video of the suspect.
UPDATE (2/26/13 @ 2:30pm): Seattle Police have tweeted that one person has been taken into custody after an attempted, armed purse-snatching at 71st and Roosevelt. More details to come.
UPDATE (2/25/13): Yet another purse snatching occurred on Monday in the middle of the afternoon. We received this from Terrie Johnston with the SPD North Precinct:
“This afternoon at 2:45 in the 7000 block of 35 Ave. NE, an elderly, developmentally disabled female was walking home from the Wedgwood Safeway and the suspect ran up behind her and removed her purse over her head. He then ran off eastbound. There were no weapons seen, and no suspect was located despite immediate response from several patrol units. The description we got was white male, 20’s, 5’8” and skinny.”
ORIGINAL POST:
Another purse-snatching occurred on Friday afternoon, February 22 — this one in the Roosevelt area, also in broad daylight, as two earlier ones were.
There are things you can do to prevent a purse-snatching, and also things you can do in case you are robbed of your purse or wallet. REMEMBER: Your life is more valuable than your purse.
The basics:
Stay alert to your surroundings.
Shop during the day when possible. Walk in a group when you can. Avoid hedges and other hiding places.
When shopping after dark, do so with a friend or family member.
Dress casually and comfortably in clothes/shoes that will let you move easily.
Walk confidently and steadily.
If you find yourself in a dangerous situation, don’t be afraid to shout or scream. Some suggest shouting “Call 9-1-1 now!”
Be aware that wearing earpods and/or talking on the phone or texting may both block out warning sounds around you and indicate that you might be distracted.
Leave expensive jewelry at home.
Always carry a government-issued photo driver’s license or identification card.
Carry only cash, checks and/or a credit card necessary for that day. (Even losing membership / frequent-buyer cards can be a pain.)
Avoid being overloaded with packages.
Trust your instincts — If you feel threatened, get out of the situation and call 9-1-1 if necessary.
Park in a well-lighted space, be certain the car is locked, and the windows are closed; store shopping bags and packages in the trunk.
Check around you before you get into your car and lock the doors immediately.
Notify the credit card issuer immediately if your credit card is lost, stolen or misused.
And a final practical note: In some protected — preferably passworded — location at home, list all your credit cards with the phone numbers you will need to call in case that card is lost or stolen. You’ll thank yourself.
The Seattle Times has this article about recent sexual assaults on women in North Seattle. Below is the sketch based on descriptions from a victim, as well as a map of where these attacks have taken place. Be careful out there.
On Thursday evening, January 24, an attempted bank robbery ended in South Lake Union when the bank’s security guard overpowered the suspect. Around 5:30 PM on Thursday a man dressed in a ski mask used what turned out to be a fake gun to threaten a bank clerk and demand cash. As the bank clerk was handing money over to the suspect, a bank security guard walked up behind the robber and knocked his (fake) gun out of his hand. The suspect resisted and wrestled with the guard; both men fell to the floor where the guard was able to overpower the suspect and hold him down until police arrived.
Police are investigating whether this 44-year-old suspect is responsible for a number of other bank robberies, a total of at least nine which began on September 7, 2012 with KeyBank at 7307 35th Ave NE. It is believed to be this same suspect who robbed Homestreet Bank at 8200 35th Ave NE on October 2, and US Bank at 8702 35th Ave NE on November 28. SPD’s Safe Streets Task Force nicknamed the suspect “Jimmy Buffett” because at the KeyBank Bank robbery the man wore a Hawaiian shirt, sunglasses and a cap resembling the popular singer of “Margaritaville” and “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere.”
At the end of 2012, we asked you a couple questions: What are your priorities for 2013 and what was your favorite Wedgwood event of 2012? The poll, which was open for over a month, gave us some great direction and reaffirmed much of the work that the trustees have been working towards throughout 2012 and earlier.
According to the poll, the top three priorities for Wedgwoodians are:
Land use planning (design guidelines, 35th Ave NE zoning, streetscape),
Pedestrian improvements (sidewalks, crosswalks, pedestrian overlay zone), and
Public safety (police presence, block watch, emergency preparedness)
Land Use Planning
As you may know, the WCC has a land use committee that was formed out of the Wedgwood Vision Plan steering committee. While this committee hasn’t been meeting regularly in recent months, there are several things that will see this change in the very near future. First, the results of this poll confirm that the community values the land use planning activities that it has been working towards. Second, and perhaps more importantly logistically, is that we are fortunate to have a new trustee who is excited to chair the committee! If you’re interested in being part of the Wedgwood Land Use Committee, please email » us and let us know!
Based on the comments we received, there are many people in the community who are concerned about the proposed new school on the Thornton Creek Elementary School site. While we share the concerns of the project, especially the loss of the playfields, we have also tried to explain our position on the proposed school (see the bottom of this post). Should the BEX IV levy succeed and the Thornton Creek Elementary School site is chosen for the new school, we intend to work with the School District to make sure the community is part of the design process.
Pedestrian Improvements
The single most surprising thing for me to learn before working on pedestrian improvements was just how expensive they are. It is very expensive for the City to design and construct many of the improvements that we hear about (e.g., more sidewalks) for a variety of issues. However, there are some simpler forms of improvements that may have a great positive impact at a low cost. In 2012, we worked towards large projects which will result several blocks of new sidewalks as well as smaller projects, such as a new crosswalk at 35th Ave NE and NE 80th Street. The poll results again reaffirms our work on these improvements and will encourage us to continue seeking pedestrian improvements, both large and small, as we move forward. If you have specific blocks, intersections, or forms of improvement that you suggest we work on, please let us know. Better yet, get involved and help us out! The more the merrier!
Public Safety
In 2012, we saw a rash of armed burglaries at 3 of our banks. This level of crime is unusual for our neighborhood and it reminds us that we need to keep our ears and eyes open for any suspicious activity. We also began the process of revamping our Wedgwood Block Watch and transition from our old email system to a new Wedgwood Block Watch Google Group. 2012 also saw us partnering with Sustainable NE Seattle to secure a grant for emergency preparedness. The purpose of the grant was to help our NE Seattle residents prepare for emergencies, learn to respond as a community in such an event, and establish our Wedgwood Emergency HUB located at the Hunter Farm Gathering Place. There is an upcoming emergency preparedness training on Wednesday, January 30th at Wedgwood Presbyterian Church, from 7-9 PM.
Other Priorities
We know there are other priorities for Wedgwoodians as well as land use planning, pedestrian improvements, and public safety. We’re continuing to work on increasing public open space, including the park acquisition process (which is going slower than we hoped) and funding a trail system through the Inverness Ravine Park.
What do you think of these rankings? Share your thoughts in the Comment Section below.
The WCC is an all volunteer council that advocates on behalf of the Wedgwood neighborhood. We aren’t nearly as successful without your involvement and your donations (or membership dues!). We would love to talk with anyone in Wedgwood who would like to become involved and serve as a WCC trustee?Pleaseemail »Per Johnson or email » to discuss further.
At the holiday season many people receive more mail than usual, including packages sent either by postal or private delivery services. Reports are coming in from around Wedgwood of mail theft: thieves are looking for checks in envelopes and they are stealing packages which have been delivered and left on porches. Mail theft should be reported to the US Postal Inspection Service Office at 442-6300.
If you have ordered an item and can track the delivery, arrange for it to go to your workplace or ask a neighbor to pick up the package so that it won’t sit out on your porch. Use timers on lights to give your house the appearance that someone is home. The holidays can be an excellent time to get to know neighbors and network with one another for watching houses and for planning for emergencies. Have a holiday open house and serve cocoa while you talk with neighbors. Exchange work phone numbers and have back-up plans in case of severe weather conditions. This might also be a good time to talk with neighbors about going in together for a locked mailbox, grouped together in one place.
On Wednesday evening November 28, the US Bank at 35th Ave NE and NE 87th Street was robbed at gunpoint just before 6 PM. The suspect was described as a white male, 6’1″, 170 pounds, wearing a black rain jacket, black hood and a ski mask. Additional photos of the suspect are provided below and on the Seattle Police’s report.
Not only did the suspect rob the bank, he also pointed the gun at a woman customer and her eleven-year old son and demanded her wallet.
Three juveniles were arrested early Saturday morning after police say they broke into Eckstein Middle School to try and steal musical instruments. Officers were called to the school at 3003 N.E. 75th Street at about 1:30 AM Saturday after an alarm was sounded. Police contained the area.
“Three suspects were observed inside with flashlights attempting to steal musical instruments,” Detective Renee Witt said in a statement. “All three suspects dropped the equipment and fled out of an exit door. The suspects were taken into custody without incident. They were fingerprinted and photographed.”
The three were interviewed and released to their parents later Saturday.
Opened in 1950 and expanded in 1968, Eckstein Middle School has more than 1,200 students. The original school building was designated in 1981 as a City of Seattle landmark. Former students include Pearl Jam lead guitarist Mike McCready and President Barack Obama’s mother, Stanley Ann Dunham.
Yesterday, the Wedgwood Homestreet bank was held at gun point around 4:30PM by what Police say was the same person who held up the new Key Bank branch on 35th Ave NE last month. The suspect, who is still at large, was last seen walking on foot eastbound down NE 82nd Street.
The suspect is described as a white male, approximately 6′ tall, medium build, between 30-40 years old, wearing a baseball cap, brown hair, facial hair, and blue eyes. See photos below from yesterday’s Homestreet robbery and last months robbery at Key Bank.
According to the Seattle Police, “a bank in the 7300 Block of 35th Avenue NE was robbed by a male suspect” on Friday, September 7, around 1:50 PM. While the bank name was not mentioned, the photos and location clearly indicate that it was the new KeyBank which opened on July 30 and held its Grand Opening Party on August 25.
The male suspect is about 6 feet tall and was wearing a baseball cap, Hawaiian shirt, shorts, and sunglasses. The suspect left the bank going southward (past Starbucks). If you have any information on the suspect, please contact the Police ASAP.
We’re just getting word that Key Bank was likely robbed again! Please keep your eye out for the suspect, described below by the Police in their Twitter post. We’ll post more information as we get it. What’s going on here!
At the end of 2012, 
On Wednesday evening November 28, the 
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