Recent thefts unnerve Ballard residents
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SEATTLE -- Nothing seems safe from thieves in Ballard these days.
Crooks are ripping off everything from car wheels, to gumball machines, to donations for desperate orphans.
Neighbors are known to grab a coffee to go from Robertino's. A thief walked off with much more.
"We had a 5-foot gumball machine that stood here," said Lori Riley of Robertino's.
A surveillance camera captured a man making off with it. With his van parked close by, he busted the window and reached in to snatch the $1,500 machine.
"He just quickly grabs it, takes off through the window and throws it in his van and takes off," Riley said.
The thief left behind a mess of broken glass, but it's the community's sense of safety that's truly shattered.
"It's not good for the neighbors," said James Coleman, who has a realty office down the block and recently left his car in the lot overnight.
"I get a call from my secretary in the morning saying, 'By the way, your wheels are missing."'
Coleman has a camera pointed at the parking space, which captured a man taking off with all four wheels. He says the theft is brazen, but doesn't even compare to the problems for one neighbor.
"I think the thing that really ticks me the most is they stole that money from those poor people," he said.
The money was in a donation cup atop a counter at Saleh's Deli.
"We collect money for poor kids, and we send it back home (to Yemen). And we've been doing this for a couple of years," said owner Steven Saleh.
But someone threw a rock through the glass door and took it for themselves.
"Walked in, covered his face from the camera and took this little cup and left," said Saleh.
Ballard business owners have shared their footage with each other and police in an effort to keep a closer eye out around the neighborhood.
Police have not determined whether the thefts are connected.
Crooks are ripping off everything from car wheels, to gumball machines, to donations for desperate orphans.
Neighbors are known to grab a coffee to go from Robertino's. A thief walked off with much more.
"We had a 5-foot gumball machine that stood here," said Lori Riley of Robertino's.
A surveillance camera captured a man making off with it. With his van parked close by, he busted the window and reached in to snatch the $1,500 machine.
"He just quickly grabs it, takes off through the window and throws it in his van and takes off," Riley said.
The thief left behind a mess of broken glass, but it's the community's sense of safety that's truly shattered.
"It's not good for the neighbors," said James Coleman, who has a realty office down the block and recently left his car in the lot overnight.
"I get a call from my secretary in the morning saying, 'By the way, your wheels are missing."'
Coleman has a camera pointed at the parking space, which captured a man taking off with all four wheels. He says the theft is brazen, but doesn't even compare to the problems for one neighbor.
"I think the thing that really ticks me the most is they stole that money from those poor people," he said.
The money was in a donation cup atop a counter at Saleh's Deli.
"We collect money for poor kids, and we send it back home (to Yemen). And we've been doing this for a couple of years," said owner Steven Saleh.
But someone threw a rock through the glass door and took it for themselves.
"Walked in, covered his face from the camera and took this little cup and left," said Saleh.
Ballard business owners have shared their footage with each other and police in an effort to keep a closer eye out around the neighborhood.
Police have not determined whether the thefts are connected.
steven and hakim on komonews
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ahlan wa sahlan
Drug addicts will do ANYTHING to support their habit. Lock up, bar up, & remember how things used to be...
 @wh344:Â
Agreed. I live in the Westminister Triabgle neighborhood in Norht Seattle. In the psat year 3 different pot dispensaries have opened up, all within 1/2 mile of the neighborhood.Â
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And at the same time, "pilfering" & other thefts have increased dramatocally.Â
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They steal ANYTHING - from mel, it was the cover for my bar-b-que (I think they probably used it as a bag to carry things), they stole a garden ornament my son had given me for Mother's day (they could have bought one of their own for about $15 - if they tried to sell it I doubt they got much more than $5 for it), and they stole a potted plant (worth about $5).
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I did not used to have to lock my vehicle - it was "safe". Not any more. I have a friend who lives 2 blocks awazy from me - they have the alarms AND a very large dog who does NOT like strangers - and even THEY do not feel safe, even with all that.
One tip, put the bars inside the windows on the basement level. This deters a break in from ever occuring. Alarm systems can only alert you after someone breaks in, and usually come with a monthly monitoring fee. By then, the damage is done. You can also purchase stickers that go on the windows saying there is an alarm system, even if you don't have one. You can buy a Doberman alarm from Fred Meyers in Ballard for $10. It sticks on and emits a high pitched squeal if anyone opens the door or window.Â
Our home was recently burgled.. in the middle of the day while we were both at work. We've since installed an alarm and replaced the basement door. (Also added a few discrete cameras but they're in and out, sometimes even before the delay expires on the alarm system if it's triggered. I'm hoping it's over soon and they are caught.
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On a related note.. what were we to expect when Ballard invited the Evil Condo & Apartment Overlords in? Now the city is jammed full of renters.. Should we be surprised at the recent increase in crime?
@Poisonous Giraffe my house at Bitter Lake was burgled 4 times. according to police, it's usually drug-related and usually they concentrate on one area of the city then move on
@Poisonous Giraffe Renters=criminals??????
 @Surveyor1  @PoisonousÂ
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More-so than homeowners.. sad to say, Not all of them but in areas of higher rent concentrations, crime figures to end to follow suit....Don't shoot the messenger... look it up yourself.Â
@Poisonous Giraffe:Â
I resent that about renters. I have rented all my life, and have never seen that fellow renters are more prone to be criminalls. I believe it is simply that there are more people crammed into the same space - whether they be renters or not - ythat based on the odds there would be more criminals.
Oh come on, we all know these are poor, unfortunate, under served, "victims" of society stealing these things. They deserve them. We should see if we can catch them and offer them more welfare instead to buy their drugs. People want to punish them? What is wrong with you people?