A number of people have commented on the need for a community meeting with the Seattle Fire Department and the Seattle Police Department to deal with the seven arsons that have rocked our neighborhood in the last few months, including two this morning.
I just spoke with Steve Giliberto, president of the Greenwood-Phinney Chamber of Commerce, and he’s working on just that. He has already contacted SPD’s North Precinct and is in the process of calling a number of agencies and community groups to organize a meeting.
Giliberto said he hopes to have such a meeting early next week. We’ll keep you posted.
Update: The Greenwood Community Council is also working with the chamber to set up the meeting.
23 responses so far ↓
1 Ginger // Nov 5, 2009 at 12:49 pm
Please post on this site if a meeting takes place. I know a few people in the neighborhood that would like to come…thanks.
2 Iron City Mike // Nov 5, 2009 at 1:25 pm
I will be first in line
3 hinto // Nov 5, 2009 at 1:32 pm
I am willing to volunteer to take a shift on the roof of some high building through the late night hours, from 2 to 5 am or so, at least once or twice a week.
Let’s get a volunteer squad going and catch this guy.
4 Amalala // Nov 5, 2009 at 1:43 pm
We can make matching uniforms and wear masks like Zorro. I’m down.
5 Gwoodgrrl // Nov 5, 2009 at 1:57 pm
I like the idea of dressing up, but I would prefer to wear red berets a la Hugo Chavez. We can form our own little circulo bolivariano in Gwood!
On a serious note, I am totally down for a community meeting and volunteering.
6 skiplogic // Nov 5, 2009 at 2:01 pm
Waking up at night to sirens and wondering which of my favorite local businesses is on fire has made for some pretty low morale. It would help me to see the community come together and make a plan of action to end this nonsense.
Where do we start?
7 Greenwood Neighbor // Nov 5, 2009 at 2:17 pm
Would it be possible to get the city or a crime-prevention organization or some sort of grant to put surveillance cameras in throughout that area and soon?
8 Iron City Mike // Nov 5, 2009 at 2:18 pm
Who watches the watchmen?
9 SunsetSu // Nov 5, 2009 at 2:28 pm
Good point. Neighborhood patrols could attract arsonists.
10 Princess Platypus // Nov 5, 2009 at 2:30 pm
The previous post by Geeky Swedes about this morning’s fires mention that neighbors helped to contain the first one until firefighters arrived with fire extinguishers.
Earlier this year, I went to Western Fire & Safety in Ballard and replaced my very old fire extinguisher. If you have an old one or don’t have one in your home or car, I highly recommend stopping by their place. They were very knowledgeable about proper maintenance of extinguishers and helped me make sure my house was outfitted with a good one.
11 Princess Platypus // Nov 5, 2009 at 2:30 pm
Oops. Forgot to include the link: http://www.westernfireandsafety.com/
12 allisonw // Nov 5, 2009 at 3:10 pm
I wrote to Nick Licata’s office about seeting up a community meeting and just got this response back from his office. It was a very quick and personal response:
“Allison,
Thank you for writing Councilmember Licata about the arsons fires in Greenwood. Councilmember Licata has asked the Chiefs of the Police and Fire Departments to hold a community meeting as soon as possible to let residents and businesses know what the City is doing, and what precautions they can take. He’s also asked them to get a bulletin out with information about what people can do now.
Sincerely,
Newell Aldrich
Aide to Councilmember Licata
206-386-9011
newell.aldrich@seattle.gov“
13 etta // Nov 5, 2009 at 4:20 pm
Thanks for making that contact, Allisonw! This will speed things up considerably and takes some of the organizational load off of Steve Gilberto.
14 AG // Nov 5, 2009 at 5:14 pm
@Iron City Mike: Other watchmen. Also, Roger Ebert, but not Alan Moore.
Thanks, AllisonW — and like Hinto, I’m down for an overnight shift. Self-employment has its scheduling benefits
.
15 Idle Activist // Nov 5, 2009 at 6:18 pm
I’ll bring my Glock. ……
16 Tim Flanagan // Nov 5, 2009 at 6:50 pm
We should follow a few basic rules, such as “Don’t bring your Glock”. Carry a cell phone and a camera or video camera. Keep in mind what street you’re on, so if you have to call 911, you can match up the address number with the street you’re actually on, without having to run to a corner to read a sign. Maybe carry a map and track your route on it with pen each time you cross a street or turn a corner, so in the heat of the moment when you’re all excited about the guy in the alley, or whatever, you can figure out what street you’re on.
Oh, and don’t be shy about calling 911. I used to be a 911 call receiver (King County, not Seattle), and call volume is extremely low after the bars close, so at the time most of these fires have been set, there’s plenty of call receiver availability on the other end of the phone. If something seems wrong, just call.
17 Bob Smith // Nov 5, 2009 at 10:30 pm
Is anyone interested in forming a Arson Patrol?
12 pm -6 am. The police and fireman cannot be everywhere. Just a thought……..
18 Bob Smith // Nov 5, 2009 at 10:35 pm
How about getting GAIN involved. They are already organized.
Greenwood Aurora Involved Neighbors
19 allisonw // Nov 6, 2009 at 1:10 am
Correct me if I am wrong on this, but we could dial down the patrols to 1am to 4am. Worse hours, but those are the key hours, correct?
I’m a renter, but am asking my landlord about more motion lights.
20 Blacksky // Nov 6, 2009 at 8:01 am
Is it a great idea to discuss when you’ll be patrolling on a public forum?
Just sayin’. Little telegraph-y.
21 Vince // Nov 6, 2009 at 1:51 pm
An interesting serial arsonist profile. People, please be aware the arsonist maybe one of your neighbors or someone living in the area.
http://books.google.com/books?id=Oge7LFaN5xYC&lpg=PT490&ots=h-WhQxJ4J-&dq=serial%20arsonist%20profile%20fbi&pg=PT490#v=onepage&q=serial%20arsonist%20profile%20fbi&f=false
22 Tim Flanagan // Nov 6, 2009 at 2:36 pm
@Blacksky: I’d say “yes”, it’s a great idea to discuss it in a public forum.
If our deranged arsonist is clever enough to plan his activities around both the fire department patrols and those of a bunch of mostly disorganized citizens, we might as well give up. Such a person is too smart and too determined to be spotted on a camera or to be discovered with incriminating evidence in his possession. Only curfews and martial law will stop the fires.
Luckily, the chances that such a diabolical, scheming criminal mastermind has devoted his James Nond villain genius to…um…starting random fires in a residential area of Seattle is…well…let’s call it impossibly improbable.
23 Tim Flanagan // Nov 6, 2009 at 2:37 pm
“James Bond”, not “James Nond”. Sorry. How do you edit your comments?!?
Leave a Comment