UPDATE on Suspicious Red Buick

Please see below for an update on the suspicious RED BUICK noticed in our neighborhood on Thanksgiving day from Officer Bateman.

RE: Suspicious Vehicle on Hazel Ave - Thurs, Nov 27th

I checked into the red Buick referenced in your "Blockwatch Alert!" and discovered that it is registered to a guy with a lot of prior Police contacts. His name is ELIJAH HICKS and I've attached his picture to the email. Please have your residents call anytime that they see him or his maroon 1990 Buick LeSabre (323-XOU). We need to contact him and see why he is there. Great work and thanks for the heads up on this one.




Please see below for what a maroon 1990-91 Buick LaSabre looks like:

Suspicious Vehicles in Neighborhood

Several Suspicious Vehicles in the Neighborhood have been reported.

Suspicious Vehicle on Hazel Ave - Thurs, Nov 27th
Neighbors at the corner of Hazel and James reported to the police that there was a suspicious car in alley behind 505 Hazel. The neighbor reports that when he came out of his house the driver of the vehicle saw him and drove off, going down James. The vehicle is described a red Buick License with plate 323 XOU.

Suspicious Vehicle on Prospect Ave - Thurs, Dec 4th
Neighbors on Prospect reported that they called 911 the morning of Dec 4th as they noticed a moving truck in the alley behind their home on Prospect Ave N. The truck is described as a Husky Trucks Ideal Lease - Licence plate A62215X. A woman driver first noticed in the alley stopping several times with about a 4 to 5 min. wait each time. Then as the neighbor left home for work, he saw the truck driving up Temperence slowly and stopping as well. The neighbors notified the police.

Remember to report any suspicious activity by calling 9-1-1!

Home Burglary on Hazel on 10/13/2008

Home Burglary reported on Hazel Ave! Please see below for details.

Neighbors at 431 Hazel reported a burglary on Monday, October 13, 2008, at the residence of 505 Hazel Avenue.

At about 3 PM on Oct 13, a blue car slowly passed their house headed South. It stopped, backed up, and then parked across the street just past their house. Three young, black males got out and very slowly walked up the street towards James (in the rain). The neighbors watched them until they disappeared from sight. Then the husband went out, wrote down the license plate number and called the police to report the suspicious-appearing incident.

About 10 to 15 minutes later, all three came running down the street, one was carrying what appeared to be a rifle in a gun case, another was carrying something in his arms that appeared to be some type of electronic gear, and the third guy wasn't carrying anything. They jumped in the car and sped off going S down Hazel.

A police office arrived about two minutes later. The husband flagged him down and advised him of what the neighbors had seen. Later that evening, that officer and another one came to the house for any further info they could provide, at which time they learned that the suspects had kicked in the front door of 505 Hazel and had stolen a shotgun, a camcorder and some very old coins. The license plate is registered to an address in Des Moines and the officers said they got enough info that they could turn the case over to the detective unit.

The resident of 505 Hazel came down the next morning (Oct 14) to thank the neighbors for calling the police and said he had had an alarm system installed about a year ago, but had not been turning it on.

Needless to say, turn on your alarms!


Remember to report any suspicious activity by calling 9-1-1!

Suspicious Car in Alley b/t Prospect & Hazel

Residents at 602 Prospect Ave N reported an unknown and suspicious vehicle driving very slowly down the alley between Prospect and Hazel between James and Cedar at about 5:45pm - 6pm on Thursday, Aug 21. The vehicle is described as an older white and red Dodge Ram pickup with WA license number A99N88M.

The driver appeared to be looking at two fabric, tent-like garages behind a neighbor's house. The neighbor typically parks their vehicles as well as several motorcycles with these structures.

Car Break-in on Hazel

Car Break-in on Hazel - Tuesday, August 19

Residents at 418 Hazel reported that last night (August 19, 2008) their Volvo sedan was broken into and rifled for valuables. A pair of gloves were stolen and discarded in a ditch a few yards up the street from their home. The contents of the glove compartment and center console had been emptied onto the front seats, but nothing appears to have been taken besides the gloves and a inexpensive pen kept on the dash console. The stereo face plate and parking passes were not taken either.

The car itself was not damaged. It was parked in the residence carport, which has a motion detector light over it and another right over the garage door -- and there were no signs that anyone had tried to steal it.


Suspicious Vehicle on Temperance - Thursday, August 7

Residents at 715 E Temperance reported a suspicious vehicel to 9-1-1 at about 11:30pm - 11:45pm. The vehicle was observed turning onto the alley between Jason Ave N and Prospect Ave N and then back out onto Temperance. The same vehicle came back about 10-15 minutes later and idled by the alley. 911 was called after the vehicle returned a third time and drove down the alley. The vehicle is reported to possibly be an model older car - somewhat looked like an older 4-door honda or mazda.


Suspicious Persons and Vehicle on Cedar & Jason Ave N - Wednesday, August 6

Residents at 436 Jason Ave N reported that on Wednesday night, August 6, they got up at about 2:30 am and heard voices talking outside on the street (Cedar St). A truck was parked right outside the house facing east on Cedar street and was parked partially on the residents' lawn. The truck is described as either silver or gray in color. The truck as observed running with the brake lights on. The truck appeared to be the body style similar to a Chevy Silverado but the residents were unable to determine the make and model. The vehicle was lowered more to the ground than the trucks typical height.

Shortly after looking out the blinds, the truck took off and headed left on Jason towards James street. After a minute, the truck appeared again and turned left onto Jason Ave towards Smith street.

A police car was observied sitting in front of the residents' house for a while on Wednesday, August 7, some time during the 2am hours.

Car Break-in on Jason Ave N

Residents at 419 Jason Ave N reported that one of their vehicles had a break-in on the night of Wednesday, August 13. Parked on the street, the vehicle had a rear window broken, but no valuables were taken. The vehicle was a Honda sedan.

In response to our last Blockwatch Alert regarding the increased car thefts and car prowls, the owner had specifically removed valuables from the vehicle, secured the vehicle, and parked it in a well-lit area. The owner speculates that the break-in was an attempt to steal the vehicle.


Update on Suspicious Vehicles/Persons Alert

After sending out the alert of suspicious vehicles and persons loitering in our neighborhood, Sharon and I both called 9-1-1 on several suspicious vehicles parked near the corner of Cedar and Jason Ave N on the evening and night of Friday, August 1.

After responding to a call about a suspicious vehicle idling at the corner of Jason Ave N and Cedar at 2:30am, the police discovered a stolen vehicle parked at the corner of Jason Ave N and Cedar and was towed by police at approximately 3am.

On the same night, a separate vehicle (a Honda) was stolen while parked in front of a house on Clark Ave N near the intersection of Clark Ave N and Cedar.

Please stay alert and report ANY suspicious activity to the police immediately by calling 9-1-1!

Car Prowls/Thefts

The Kent Police Department has had an increase in case reports for car prowls and thefts. Please read this information carefully and take the following steps TODAY to avoid being the victim of these crimes.

A few SIMPLE steps can prevent your car from being a target for a car prowler or thief. A car prowl is when someone breaks into a car to commit a crime. Typically, car prowlers break into a car because they see something that may be of value. That includes shopping bags, backpacks, change, anything that is visible to a passerby as they look into your car.

Follow these steps every time you park your car and decrease the likelihood of being a victim!

• Keep personal and valuable belongings out of sight. Do not invite a break-in by leaving valuables such as cameras, CDs, IPODs, money, computers, stereos, bags, packages or shopping bags (including re-usable bag) in plain sight. Take them with you out of your car or discreetly lock them in your trunk if you cannot remove them when you park. DO THIS EVERY TIME YOU PARK!
  
  
• Keep all doors locked and windows up at all times when you park. A lock is only effective if you use it!
  
  
• Secure your vehicle in your garage or park in a well-lit and highly visible area. Criminals look for cars that are isolated and parked in dark areas.
  
  
• Use your alarm system at all times.
  
  
• If you have a GPS system, remove it when you park your car. And, remove the GPS holder as well. Criminals know that a GPS holder means there is probably a GPS somewhere in the car! Out of sight, out of mind!
  
  
• If you see a person looking into cars and appears suspicious, call 9-1-1.
  

After you do all of these steps and you are still concerned about auto theft, consider using a steering wheel locking device, also knows as The Club. The Kent Police Employees Benevolent Association (KPEBA) sells the Club at an extremely discounted rate: $15 for a car version and $20 for a truck version. This is over half of the cost you'll see them for in stores. All proceeds benefit Kent youth too!

The Kent Police Department is here to work with you to prevent crime. Please take these steps today. Share them with your family and friends. Post them in your work place. These simple steps, done every time you park, will significantly reduce the likelihood that the criminal will target your car.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact your Kent Police Department at this email or by calling 253-856-5851.

Car Stolen on Clark Ave N.

A vehicle was stolen from the home near the corner of Clark Ave N and Cedar St. The resident woke up this morning to find his vehicle missing and called the police. The police located the vehicle a short time later in Seatac completely stripped. The vehicle is described as a late 90s, black, Honda.

Neighbors have been seeing and reporting to the Blockwatch that they have noticed non-resident cars parked or pulled over on the sides of the roads. The vehicles are occupied and usually running. Vehicles are also noticed driving very slowly through the neighborhood and waiting near the corner of Jason Ave N and Cedar St.

If you see a suspicious vehicle, CALL 911 IMMEDIATELY. The police respond very quickly and also called us back each time to ask if we had seen where the vehicles had gone or saw anything else.

Suspicious Activity on Prospect Ave N

Several neighbors have reported suspicious activity on Prospect Ave N. Please keep your eyes and ears open! If you see anything suspicious, please CALL 911 immediately! The police WILL come to check it out and it is the safest and fastest way to make people aware that we are watching our neighborhood!

1. Neighbors have noticed a transient person sleeping in a vehicle in the neighborhood. The vehicle is described as an older, green sedan with a broken-out rear window. Please call 911 if you see think you see this vehicle! Try to get license plates if possible.

2. Neighbors have also noticed a large number of non-residents loitering around a couple of the homes/apartment building on Prospect. Visitors/non-residents are observed waiting, loitering, and/or meeting briefly at these homes. If you notice this suspicious activity, please call 911 immediately to report it.

Officer Paul Peterson at the Police Dept was contacted to report some of these incidences and we requested additional patrols. Sgt Padilla (our Neighborhood Police Liaison) and Sgt Gustafson has also informed about these incidences. Although, the police have been informed, they need US to CALL 911 when we actually see these individuals so that they can come and address them immediately. If you wait, these people may move on quickly and the police cannot confirm or report that these incidences are occurring.

Gas Siphoning on Clark Ave N - Week of March 3, 2008

Residents at 506 Clark reported that last week they experienced some late night gas siphoning. Surrounding neighbors have also had gas siphoned from their vehicles as well. They suspect that the criminals seem to be coming around between 2 and 3am.

I also wanted to report that I woke up at 2am to the sound of a car alarm on Jason and got up to check it out. I saw that someone was looking into the cars parked across the street with a flashlight and was about to call 911 when I realized it was a police officer who had his squad car parked on the street. I'm guessing that he noticed someone on the street messing around the vehicles and pulled up to check it out. It seems that with the last several Blockwatch reports that we are definitely seeing a trend that someone is targeting cars in our neighborhood (on Clark and Jason especially) and usually hit early in the AM. I think they also utilize our back alleys too. PLEASE REPORT to 911 ANY criminal activity even if you feel that it might be too small or insignificant if nothing was taken otherwise the police won't recognize the criminal activity in the neighborhood (they actually specifically told me this). I think the neighbors in general under report the amount of car break-ins because "nothing valuable" was taken. By reporting the crime, however small, we can the see trends and problems and request things like extra patrols and better street lighting.

Car Break-in & Burglary at Jason Ave N & Cedar on Monday, Feb 18

Residents of 436 Jason Ave N reported that a car at their residence was broken into and the car radio was stolen from the vehicle. Neighbors noticed the broken window and called the police.

Incident at the Kent Historical Museum on Smith St

Early February 2008

Linda Van Nest of the Kent Historical Museum reported that they had a police incident 3-4 weeks ago. She was the only person left at the museum and a man came onto the porch banging on windows and yelling. She yelled for him to leave, and he eventually went running down the street into someone else's yard. The police were called, and Linda noticed blood on her windows. He must have hurt himself pounded on the walls/windows of the museum.

Mailboxes vandalized on Jason Ave on Friday, Feb 22, 2008

Friday, Feb 22, 2008

Blockwatch member Sandy, who lives on the northwest side of Jason Ave across James St, reported that a gang of kids or possibly adults with baseball bats and sticks damaged the mail boxes at her duplex at 511 East James. The boxes were attacked, dented, and tossed off their stand. The caretaker at the duplex reported that this has happened before but this most recent incident cause much more damage. A Police report was filed and the police officer said that if this happens again to report it ASAP to 911.

Break-in into Boat on Clark Ave N on Saturday, Feb 9, 2008

Please be advised of the following incident in our neighborhood on Saturday, February 9, 2008:

Dennis and Jeanne Bertsch reported that their boat on their property at 504 Clark Ave was broken into and ransacked. They reported that nothing was stolen since items of value were removed when the boat was broken into last spring. They reported that they suspect that whoever has done this is pretty brazen, or knows their routines, as the boat backs to their backyard and back door which is glass has a clear view of the back of the boat! They also have dogs. If you have any questions, concerns or information, please contact let either Sharon or me know and we will forward your input to Dennis and Jeanne. Thanks!

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your BlockWatch Captains.

OPERATION ID Program

The Kent Police Department has provided our Blockwatch Stickers as part of their Operation ID program. Operation ID is a burglary prevention program that involves marking property with your Washington State identifier number (your driver's license #). Engraving your property can deter burglary and theft because it makes the items more difficult to "fence", pawn, or sell. It also assists police and prosecutors charge and convict burglars if stolen property is identified in their possession.

Operation ID has two parts:

1. Part One: Mark your valuables with your Washington State Driver's License number - Remembering to mark a "WA" at the front of the number and "DL" at the end of the number so that it cannot be altered. This makes your property easier to identify and should be given to police. Do not use your Social Security number and do not engrave valuables such as heirlooms, paintings, or antiques.

2. Part Two: After you have marked or engraved your property, contact your Blockwatch Captains to obtain your Operation ID decals. The 3" x 4" decals with the Operation ID logo can go on front windows or near any entrance. When you display an Operation ID decal near your front door you are announcing that your valuable property has been marked and will be difficult for a burglar to pawn. I also have 1" x 1" stickers that can be placed on the back of your stereo, TV, or property that provides a visible sign to a burglar that your property has been marked. These decals can also be displayed on vehicle windows.

If you are interested in participating in this program and would like stickers to display, the Kent Police Department has asked me to ask you to commit to engraving or marking at least 1-3 items. If I have enough people interested in engraving their property, I will purchase a small engraving tool and a few invisible ink pens for our Blockwatch that members can check out to engrave their property. I think that displaying the stickers are also a great way to deter potential theft and also lets potential burglars know this is a Blockwatch neighborhood with others nearby watching for suspicious activity! Besides, I now have a giant package of these stickers taking up space in my office! So, come and get your stickers!

Break-in and Robbery on Jason Ave N on Monday, Dec 31

Please be advised of the following incident in our neighborhood on Monday, December 31, 2007:

A neighbor reported that their Jason Ave N home was broken into on Monday, December 31, at approximately 3pm. The burglars appear to have entered the home via the back alley through a back door and ransacked the home and stole several items of value including jewelry. Police were called.