According to police data, Wallingford ranks 11th in number of car prowls among Seattle’s neighborhoods, behind Queen Anne, Capitol Hill, and Ballard, to name a few.
I’m not surprised Wallingford shows up near the top of the list, it seems like I hear about a new incident every day. Wallingford resident Susan Gilmore recounts her recent experience:
My car was prowled not once but twice last week. They took my husband’s swimming bag and the disabled pass we have for my MIL. That’s the 5th time since October and it’s getting pretty old. I have a Subaru and went to the dealership last week and had my keys rekeyed so hopefully that will stop it. I had an alarm system on my car, but they still broke in.
According to the police, if your car is broken into, you should file a report by calling the non-emergency number at 206-625-5011, or file one online at:
http://www.seattle.gov/police/report/default.htm
Data shows car prowls happen more often in these neighborhoods. More on #PreventProwls here. https://t.co/Ww4hnCO6EP pic.twitter.com/pFuMsKhzys
— Seattle Police Dept. (@SeattlePD) May 11, 2016
Before any of my neighbors waste their valuable time, there are fairly consistent reports online of 30-, 40- even 50-minute hold times for non-emergency line callers (as opposed to reports of only 10-minute hold times for 911). Since the police do not respond to prowl calls the online tool is very much superior. Luckily I’ve not had this experience in Seattle but have seen enough reports of trouble getting through to police that the online approach seems best.
Only 11th? Make sure you report every car prowl people. At some point Mayor Murray will wake up and understand that Seattle extends north of the ship canal.