At tonight’s North Precinct Advisory Council meeting, we learned that our two new Crime Prevention Coordinators have split up the precinct. Sarah Lawson (sarah.lawson@seattle.gov, 206-612-0320) is working the precinct east of I-5. We can contact her to ask about general crime prevention tips, schedule a home security assessment, request her presence at a community meeting and to discuss ongoing crime concerns in the neighborhood.
Tonight the CPCs mentioned that the SPD non-emergency telephone number isn’t always staffed due to personnel issues, so it’s best to call 911 and let the dispatcher figure out your call’s priority.
The CPCs also reviewed tips for discouraging car prowls. Car prowls are still a big problem. 1 – don’t leave stuff in the car where it can be seen; 2 – if you have a garage door opener in the car, take it with you when you leave the car, so if your car IS broken into, the opener can’t be stolen and used later to get into your house; 3 – try to park in well-lit, busy, monitored areas; 4 – don’t leave your car running when you’re not in it so someone cannot jump in and drive it away.
The precinct captain, Kevin Grossman, retired, so Lt Joseph Osborne is acting captain for the time being. He said that Parking Enforcement Division is back in SPD starting today, following City Council’s decision to move it back from its short stay in the Transportation Department.
Meagan Westphal, the City Attorneys Office liaison with North Precinct, laid out the CAO’s 2023 priorities: 1 – focus more on misdemeanor competency and mental health treatment. Felonies have gotten the most attention for this; 2 – focus on the rights of victims of crime, make CAO more victim-centered; 3 – focus on human trafficking. HT is a felony handled by King County, but CAO can employ some tools and procedures to help mitigate, like going after buyers of sex; 4 – focus on building bridges and connections in city government, break down the silos and work together more; 5 – promote data transparency, collect data both to make more informed decisions and for public to learn what’s going on.
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