Seattle Police closed 8th Avenue NW between NW 80th and NW 83rd streets this morning after finding a “suspicious package” in the middle of the road. The bomb squad has picked up the device and the street has been reopened.

Seattle Police blocked off 8th Avenue NW at 83rd Street with a police cruiser and crime scene tape. The bomb squad van is in the background.

Karla Parker, who lives on 83rd and 8th, said a police officer knocked on her door this morning and told her to stay inside and away from the windows.

She said police initially blocked off 8th between 82nd and 83rd, but later expanded that down to 80th.

Members of the Chinese Evangelical Church at the corner of 80th & 8th were blocked off inside the crime scene tape, and congregated on the sidewalk.

Parker said she later saw the bomb squad robot coming down the street, then police took down the tape blocking the road. She said she and other neighbors were happy the police took it so seriously.

“I so appreciate (the police) looking out for us,” Parker said.

Thanks to Annie for the tip!

Seattle Police are looking for a man who exposed himself to children in several places around the city, including north Greenwood. We got a note from Will, who tells us the man flashed his 11-year-old daughter and her three friends on Holman Road a week-and-a-half ago.

Here’s the sketch that SPD just released.

From the SPD Blotter:

On at least five different occasions between September 29th 2011 thru October 3rd 2011, the depicted suspect exposed himself to several children. Three of these incidents occurred in North Seattle, one on Capitol Hill, and one in West Seattle. The description of the suspect and vehicle descriptions are very similar in these incidents.

The suspect is described as a white male, 20-30 years old, approximately 5 feet- 10 inches tall, thin narrow face, fair complexion, slim build, brown hair, dark eyes, bushy or thick eyebrows, and a goatee. The suspect was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, and black pants.

• September 29, 2011 at 2:40 p.m. Holman RD NW / NW 90 St
• September 29, 2011, 4:11 p.m. occurred in the 5800 block of SW Lander S.
• September 29, 2011, 5:30 p.m. occurred at E Aloha ST/23 Ave E.
• October 2, 2011 – 5:00 p.m. 12019 14 Ave NE at Pinehurst playfield.
• October 3, 2011- 3:30 p.m. high school soccer field in the 14000 block of 1 Av NE

The suspect was seen driving away in light tan or gold colored 4-door sedan. The first letter of the license plate may be “A”.

Anyone with information about this incident or who may know the identity or whereabouts of the suspect is asked to call the Seattle Police Sexual Assault Unit at 206-684-5575. Anonymous calls are welcome.

Terrie Johnston, crime prevention coordinator for Seattle Police Department’s North Precinct, recently sent an update to all Block Watch captains about crime trends in North Seattle.

Johnston said most August burglaries occurred during daytime hours, many of them before noon.

The bulk of the entries are non-forced through open or unlocked doors and windows. (Still a few through dog-doors as previously reported) I noticed several entries through unlocked garage doors, which can be harder to protect. If you can access your home through the garage, please think of the door between the garage and house as an exterior door. They should be solid; wooden or metal with good deadbolt lock and a door frame that is anchored into the wall studs. Window screens are easy to cut or remove so don’t consider them adequate defense for an open window. Victims reported they left doors unlocked as they were only walking the dog, or at a nearby park with their kids and didn’t plan on being gone long. We think 9 minutes is a long time for a burglar to be in your home. Laptops, jars of coins, jewelry and tools were popular stolen items this month. One burglar entered an unlocked garage and stole the victim’s car using the valet key left in the glove box of the vehicle.

On 7/30/11 people on Densmore Ave. N. were having a party in their basement and a guest came upstairs to find four burglars inside the house. They were chased outside and fled in the suspects’ vehicle. An astute individual reported 2 motorcyclists stuffing their back packs with stuff from a suitcase they later discarded. The witness gave good descriptions and even a license plate number to 9-1-1. Officers ended up arresting one of the thieves a short time later near the Home Depot parking lot. Turned out the motorcycle was stolen. The suitcases seen had the victim’s name on the ID Tags which helped verify a burglary had occurred; and most of the chase was caught on an in-car camera of the patrol car. Great work by North Precinct patrol and by the great witness who called in the Suspicious Activity which lead to the arrest. You are our eyes and ears!

Johnston also said the 27th annual Night Out Against Crime on Aug. 2 was a big success, with 1,327 blocks across the city registering to participate, a 12 percent increase from last year. The big news, however, is that more than half of those – 720 blocks – were in the North Precinct, twice the number of the city’s other four precincts combined.

Update 3:40 p.m.: And here’s more info from the SPD Blotter:

On 8/10/11, at approximately 12:30 p.m., a suspicious package was delivered to the North Precinct, via a US Postal Service Mail Carrier. The package was a legal size, white padded envelope. The envelope did not have a return address and was stamped “Special delivery from Santa” with 8 postage stamps affixed across the top.

The North Precinct Duty Officer intercepted the package and immediately notified SPD communications and North Precinct Commanders. Out of an abundance of caution, the precinct was evacuated and surrounding streets cordoned off. The Arson and Bomb unit responded to the scene. The package was x-rayed and deemed harmless. The North Precinct reopened for routine business.

Update 2:10 p.m.: KING 5 just tweeted that the suspicious package was nothing harmful, and Metro just announced that bus routes are back to normal.

Earlier: Seattle Police Department’s North Precinct, at 10049 College Way N. (about a half-mile east of Greenwood) was evacuated this afternoon after a suspicious package was delivered. Metro bus routes 5 and 75 are being rerouted.

From Metro:

Routes 5 & 75 are travelling instead via Northgate Way, 5th Ave NE to the Northgate Transit Center in both directions. Please use stops along Northgate Way, 5th Ave NE or Northgate TC, until further notice.

Seattle Police say a convenience store on the corner of Phinney Avenue North and North 59th Street was robbed at gunpoint early last Saturday. Based on the partial address and description, the victimized business would be 7-Eleven.

From the online police report:

The witnesses described the suspect as 5’9″-6’0″ heavy build wearing a dark hoodie, dark pants carrying a semi-auto pistol. Both witnesses stated that the suspect had a bandana over his face.

V/ stated that the suspect entered the business, held the gun up pointing it directly at the victim. The suspect then demanded money, the victim stated he was scared and saw his life flash before his eyes so he complied. The suspect then fled around the south side of the business.

K913, Ofc. Waldorf #6311 arrived at my location and we attempted a track. The dog followed a scent from the south side of the business into the backyard of 4 N 59 St, then eastbound on N 59th St and northbound on Dayton Av N before losing the scent. Around this time a second robbery occurred at N 125 St and Greenwood Av N with an identical suspect description.

The police report states the loss as $40.

Thanks to Neighbor for alerting us to this in the Forum.

The Seattle Police Department’s North Precinct reports 85 residential burglaries from June 1-28. Crime Prevention Coordinator Terrie Johnston said 45 of those were non-forced entry, meaning a door or window were left unlocked, or the thief had a key.

With warmer weather during the summer, people are more likely to leave a window open, leading to the possibility of a thief or attacker gaining entry into the home. Johnston sent along these crime prevention tips:

Opened windows on the upper floors may be just the opportunity the would-be thief is seeking. Crooks used plastic lawn chairs, patio furniture, ice chest, garden pots and in one case a ladder to climb up onto the 2nd floor and came in through open windows. Pet doors were the method of entry in several of the burglaries, so be aware. Back doors were popular this month, so reconsider how easy it is for your watchful neighbors to see onto your back yards. The victims’ tools which were left out were used to pry open a rear basement door, and again on the door leading into the upstairs. Decorative rocks and bricks were thrown through back windows in a few of these crimes.

Johnston provides free security surveys of home and businesses. Call her at 206-684-7711 .

As the days get longer and the weather gets better, it seems like more and more door-to-door salesmen and information peddlers ring the doorbell just as you’re sitting down to dinner. Terrie Johnston, Seattle Police Department’s Crime Prevention Coordinator for the North Precinct, has shared some tips on dealing with solicitors and how to know if they’re legitimate.

This is the peak time of year for door-to-door sales, including those using traveling sales crews. There are many legitimate companies in this industry with professionally trained salespeople, selling between the hours of 8:00am and 9:00pm, and a long history of law-abiding customer service. There are, however, less reputable companies in this business willing to take advantage of unsuspecting individuals who trust people knocking at their door. Sometimes residents forget to practice good personal safety.

Seattle Police officers respond to calls from citizens concerned about door-to-door salespeople. The results have ranged from the officers checking identification and sending the seller to the City of Seattle Revenue & Consumer Affairs office for their business license, to arrests of individuals posing as residential sellers, but wanted on warrants. There have also been arrests for aggressive behavior, threats made against the resident, burglaries, and assaults.

Homeowners may consider posting a sign indicating “No agents,” “No peddlers,” or “No Solicitors.” In Seattle, it is unlawful for any residential seller to attempt to gain admittance for the purpose of selling at any residence displaying one of these signs.

With these facts in mind, what should you do when a person knocks at your door?

BEFORE OPENING YOUR DOOR: LOOK FOR PROPER IDENTIFICATION. Acknowledge the knock since ignoring it may lead to an attempted burglary. It is preferable to speak to strangers through your door. In Seattle, all door-to-door sellers must display the residential sales identification which includes the seller’s photograph on their outer clothing. The residential sales agent’s license has the name of the licensee as well as the agent. It shall be endorsed with the type of product or service being sold. The license is only valid for the product or service specified. If you have any questions about whether a company is properly licensed, call the City of Seattle’s Office of Revenue & Consumer Affairs at 206-684-8136.

DISCLOSURE REQUIRED: Each residential seller shall, immediately upon contacting the prospective buyer, disclose their name, company and the product or service represented. If requested to do so, they shall leave the premises immediately. If the individual does not leave, or if an attempt to gain access is made by asking to use the bathroom, the phone or get a drink of water, refuse the request and ask the individual to leave. If you feel intimidated, pressured, or threatened at any time, call 911.

USE GOOD JUDGEMENT: It is safer not to allow the salesperson into your home. You are encouraged to avoid paying immediately. Do not give the salesperson cash or a check, as it may be pocketed and you will never receive the product ordered. Instead, find out from the seller how you can order directly from the company or receive the bill upon receipt of the product/service. If the salesperson is concerned about losing their commission for the sale, offer to provide their name when placing your order.

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS: In Seattle, if you make a purchase, the salesperson must tell you of your right to cancel the order and the contract must include a statement regarding the right to cancel. For each sale of ten dollars or more, the seller must provide a receipt or contract to the purchaser. Do not leave any blanks on your contract. Be sure the contract or receipt is dated and that it states the terms of the transaction, the amount of payment made and the name and address of the residential seller. It must also include a notice informing the buyer of their right to cancel the order any time prior to midnight of the third business day after the date of the transaction. A completed Notice of Cancellation (in duplicate) must be provided to the purchaser at the time they purchase from the seller. You do not need to provide a reason for canceling your order.

DO NOT GIVE IN TO HIGH PRESSURE TACTICS: Never be afraid to say “NO!” If a salesperson in your home tries to pressure you into buying their product, terminate your conversation with them. Take the time to contact the company directly if you still have interest in the product or service. Avoid making an immediate purchase in order to receive a “free gift.” If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Terrie Johnston became the crime prevention coordinator for the Seattle Police Department’s North Precinct about one month ago, but she already knows when her last day will be: Dec. 31. That’s because city budget cuts are forcing the elimination of the program, which provides safety walk-throughs of homes and businesses, coordination of Block Watch captains, and a more personal touch for neighborhoods to contact SPD.

“The bad news is that we have been cut and cut and cut, and we (crime prevention coordinators) are going away on Dec. 31,” she told the Greenwood-Phinney Chamber of Commerce last Friday.

SPD’s Crime Prevention Coordinator program was created in 1973 and has received international attention. Johnston said Seattle’s CPC program was the best in the nation.

“People from other countries used to come and find out how we did it,” she said. “I’m just sad about it. I have over 1,800 block watch captains that I contact.”

Johnston has been with SPD for 30 years and has worked at every precinct except West Seattle.

All crime prevention coordinators have taken training called Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) and will work for free with businesses and homes to assess security issues. (For example, CPTED training helps identify bushes and trees that obscure sight lines in parks or around front and back doors where criminals can hide, as well as how lighting can affect safety.)

Johnston tells business owners and homeowners to frequently check windows, doors, locks, cameras and security systems.

“A lot of it is just human error,” she says of burglaries. “They run to the bank and forget to set the alarm, or they could have sworn they locked that back door.”

As a CPC, Johnston wants to make it clear that people should call 911 even if it’s not a life or death emergency. She said that if you see someone suspicious in your neighbor’s back yard, call 911 and report it. She cited a recent example of a neighbor calling 911 to report two suspicious people at her neighbor’s house, leading to the arrest of two prolific burglars.

“That would not have happened had the woman not been suspicious and called 911,” Johnston said.

She says residential burglary is one of the highest priority calls because it could be a crime in progress. “That is a big, big and very scary crime,” she said.

All 911 calls are prioritized, so Johnston said you shouldn’t worry that your call will take away resources from a more serious crime that may be happening. Officers may be sent to check out a suspicious person, but if they then get a call for an assault in progress, they will respond to that call first.

And don’t assume someone else has already called 911 when something major has happened. Having more 911 calls helps SPD know how serious it is, and you may have details others don’t.

The way you report a crime is important, she said. Be brief and to the point. For example, you might say “there are two suspicious men creeping out of my neighbor’s secluded back yard.”

If you have a complaint about police response to a 911 call, Johnston encourages you to call her and she can look up the details. For example she’ll be able to tell you that officers were on their way but then got called to something more serious, or they did stop the suspicious person a few blocks away but verified their story or credentials.

Johnston said she’s pleased about how the North End neighborhoods watch out for each other. She said the annual national Night Out against crime program on the first Tuesday of August (Aug. 2 this year) has far more participants in the north end of the city than anywhere else. She counted up the block parties that registered last year and said 787 blocks in the North Precinct had registered, compared to a combined 400 in the city’s other four precincts.

Johnston encouraged everyone to attend the North Precinct annual picnic, at 10049 College Way N., from 1-4 p.m. on Saturday, July 9. Hundreds of people attend the picnic to meet police officers (and their department horses and dogs), watch a bomb robot demonstration, tour the precinct and listen to music.

North Precinct Crime Prevention Coordinator Terrie Johnston can be reached at 206-684-7711 or terrie.johnston@seattle.gov.

A group of students from St. John Catholic School in Phinney-Greenwood participated this morning in the Law Enforcement Torch Run, to celebrate the opening of the Special Olympics of Washington Summer Games.

The students joined Seattle police officers to run along Aurora Avenue North around 9 a.m. today.

The Special Olympics Summer Games are at Joint Base Lewis-McChord this weekend.

Thanks to Sue for the photos!

Here’s a reminder that the Seattle Police Department is conducting a major traffic enforcement patrol along Aurora Avenue North today.

The extra patrol started at 6:30 this morning and will run until this evening.

Specifically the patrol is focusing on the behaviors that contribute to collisions, injuries and deaths along Aurora Avenue such as speeding, following too close, unsafe turns and lane changes, impaired driving (DUI), cell phone usage, texting and other in car distractions.

More than 50 Seattle Police Department personnel are participating, including motorcycle and squad car units, the Aggressive Driver Response Team (ADRT) and the DUI squad. Joining SPD will be six patrol units from the Washington State Patrol and three teams from the Washington Liquor Control Board. A Unified Command Center has been established at North 125th Street and Aurora Avenue North.

The April 14th patrol is part of a two year project to improve safety along Aurora Avenue North. Between April 2005 and March 2008, 1,581 collisions occurred on Aurora between the Battery Street Tunnel and North 145th Street.

Seattle Police yesterday served search warrants on the GMS Market at 10406 Greenwood Ave. N., and at GMS owners’ residence and on their vehicles. Police say that an undercover investigation led them to an extensive retail theft crime ring that allegedly shoplifted millions of dollars’ worth of items from other stores, then sold them to GMS Market’s owners for resale in the store.

From Seattle Police Department’s online blotter:

On 03/15/11, search warrants were served on the GMS Market, the GMS owners’ residence and their vehicles. The Seattle Police Property Recovery/Pawn Unit conducted an investigation into an extensive retail theft crime ring in and around the City of Seattle. Through an undercover operation in conjunction with suspect, victim, witness, and informant interviews, and with the cooperation of loss prevention officers from victim retail stores, investigators learned of an organized criminal group active in this area.

The group used thieves (boosters) to enter retail grocery and other stores to steal merchandise.
Over the past 2 years, the merchant victims reported experiencing repeated thefts of merchandise exceeding millions of dollars in value, some of which detectives were able to contribute to the GMS Market. The GMS Market, located in the Greenwood neighborhood in North Seattle is a family owned business and only family members work in the store.

It appeared that many of the thieves are individuals addicted to heroin and other illegal drugs. The owners of the GMS Market provided the thieves with requests for specific items, asking for merchandise with a shelf value of over $20 each. The owners of the GMS Market then paid cash for the stolen items, usually $1-$2 per item. Detectives conducted more than 12 undercover sales of purportedly stolen product to the owners and clerks of GMS Market. These transactions took place between December 4th, 2010, and March 10th, 2011. Detectives also learned that one of the owners of the GMS Market operated internet stores on Ebay and Amazon Marketplace.

In the course of this investigation, undercover detectives purchased “stolen” merchandise (positively identified as the merchandise sold to GMS by undercover and informants) from the GMS Market as well as from the internet stores.

Over the last two years, Safeway, QFC, Target, Fred Meyer, Top Foods and other local retail stores in the North Seattle area alone have reported losses in health and beauty items of over 1.5 million dollars. In order to combat those losses, retail stores have been forced to deploy additional loss prevention officers at these North Seattle and North King County stores.

Investigators recovered a large amount of evidence from the search warrants. After going through this evidence, investigators will request appropriate charges through the King County Prosecutors Office. Potential charges include: Leading Organized Crime, Trafficking in Stolen Property and Organized Retail Theft.

The Seattle Police Property Recovery/Pawn Unit would like to thank the King County Prosecutors Office, Safeway, QFC, Target, Fred Meyer, Top Foods and other local retail stores in North Seattle/North King County in this joint collaboration.

The Seattle Police Department’s North Precinct asked us to pass along all the emergency contact information that PhinneyRidge  and Greenwood residents might need.

• SPD’s North Precinct is located at 10049 College Way N.; 206-684-0850.
• The North Precinct’s Community Police Team’s main number is 206-684-4599. Sgt.
• Dianne Newsom can be reached at 206-684-0794 or dianne.newsom@seattle.gov.
• North Precinct’s detective, Sgt. Jeff Durden, is at 206-386-9113 or jeffrey.durden@seattle.gov.
• Officer Travis Testerman is our community police officer; he covers the area from North 50th Street to North 90 Street, from I-5 to Third Avenue Northwest. He can be reached at 206-233-3984 or travis.testerman@seattle.gov.
• Officer Scott McGlashan covers the area from North 110th Street to the Ship Canal, from Third Avenue Northwest to the Sound. He can be reached at 206-233-3733 or scott.mcglashan@seattle.gov.
• The City Attorney Liaison is at 206-684-7765.

And here’s a list of Public Safety Numbers:

• Police, fire and medical emergencies: 911
• Incidents not needing an officer to be dispatched: 206-625-5011
• North Precinct Watch Commanders, for thank yous or concerns: 206-684-0856
• Community Police Team, for chronic, ongoing problems not resolved by 911: 206-684-0794
• Suspected drug activity: 206-684-0748
• Parking Enforcement: 206-625-5011 or https://web1.seattle.gov/police/AbandonedVehicles/Present/AbandonedVehicle.aspx
• Website for crime updates and alerts: www.seattle.gov/police/precincts/North/default.htm
• Crime Statistics: http://www.seattle.gov/police/records/online/htm; http://web5.seattle.gov/mnm/policereports.aspx; http://web5.seattle.gov/mnm/incidentresponse.aspx
• Sex Offenders: http://www.sheriffalerts.com/cap
• Graffiti and illegal dumping: Seattle Public Utilities – 206-684-7587
• Streetlights burned out, intermittent or flickering: 206-684-7056
• Overgrowth, cars in yards, litter: 206-615-0808