MyBallard reader Aliisa emailed us to let us know that their house was burglarized during the day on Tuesday.
I wanted you to know so that the community could be on the alert, as it is the holiday season. We live on 19th Ave NW right near Salmon Bay Elementary. The suspect(s) kicked in our basement door which was deadbolted. It is a VERY solid wood door and is difficult to open when it is unlocked. We had jewelry, a laptop, a large amount of change, a camera, GPS system, a watch, and some clothing items taken. However, they did not steal other big-ticket items, such as our TV, a PlayStation 3, or a power drill (which was taken out of its storage spot, but not taken from the house). My boyfriend and I were both out of the house by 8 a.m. yesterday and I returned home to find the house burglarized at about 4:10 p.m. Therefore, the house was robbed during the day. We live in a family neighborhood…our next door neighbor was home and there were men doing construction on the house across the street. It is so scary to know that whoever did this was able to do so with people around, an elementary school right by, and in broad daylight. I just want the community members to be aware so that this doesn’t happen to anyone else.
![](https://www.myballard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024-My-Ballard-Tile-Ad-Troop-100.png")
I would bet money that whoever did this knocked on your door first to see if you were home. We’ve had people doing that to our house and when we answer, they just ask if some random person lives there and they leave.
I realize that this happened during the day but I’m surprised how many people don’t leave porch lights on during the night. The police will tell you that is one of the most effective things you can do.
I am curious what kind of police follow up there is? I agree with the first poster that whoever did this probably knocked on the door first. I wonder how many doors they knocked on before yours…
So if anyone gets one of those knock-knock, ask if random person lives there folks, we should call the police. Would this qualify for a 911 call or a non emergency number call?
Police? What police? What a quaint idea.
Seriously? Someone knocks on your door and you’re going to call the police. What do you think the police are going to do? C’mon folks, the police are not going to do anything about stuff like this. No budget, no staffing, no bandwidth.
Face it: you are on your own. Might as well accept it.
Please give the police a description of them.
Totally agree. The police would laugh at your face and then resume dealing with “real crimes”.
I recommend folks buy cheap webcameras and load up zoneminder. Run your own security system on the cheap for < $500.
If they police are already looking for them, they will respond. Just get a good description and don’t be such a cynic.
My house was burlarized and a Seattle cop not only showed up to take a report, he dusted for prints on the door where the intruder likely had to push on it to reach through and unlock it. Voila, they matched a junkie with a record and a warrant was issued for his arrest. He overdosed before the police could catch him so he won’t do it anymore now.
He had been stalking the neighborhood waiting in a car to see you leave before breaking in. He would get in and out again in a matter of minutes.
So watch for cars parked on your block that don’t belong there, and record a license plate number if someone is sitting in it for any length of time just hanging around.
You don’t need to call 911. Call the non-emergency number and speak to the detective assigned to burglaries. If that dective is looking for someone you describe, they can react plenty fast anyway.
This is old news, but I never posted it anywhere. In August our Shed was broken into and approx. $5,000. worth of power tools, the triple metal toolbox on wheels that weighed about 500 pounds that stored the other tools, garden tools, battery charger, etc. etc. from it. It was about 4:00 am and we were home, but never heard anything. They used our handtruck to take things around the corner about 1/2 block to load up. Our neighbors were awakened and saw the hand truck in front of their house. Police were called/came to take report, but that is as far as it went.
One of our neighbors had an incidence where she was busy in the basement (day time) and ignored the knocking at her door. The robbers assumed she wasn’t home so they went around the house and tried to kick the basement door in. She screamed and they scrammed, but another neighbor was able to give the description of the 4 men to the police. We live on 73rd NW and 17th NW in Ballard. We have also had several break-ins of cars on these streets also.
Ahhh, drug addicts. Can you think of more worthless scum bags?
We had our car/house (17th & 77th) broken into a year ago while we were sleeping at night and called the police. They responded within a matter of minutes and took a report & dusted for fingerprints. We thought nothing would come of it, but two weeks ago, we were told that the suspect had been arrested and charges pressed including our burglury. Please, always report break-ins/attempted break-ins to the Police!
Qwerty/Cat-Country – have either of you actually been the victim of a robbery and had the police “laugh in your face” when you reported the crime to them? or are your claims based on nothing more than a hatred of police?
i’m guessing the latter since two other posters have said their houses were broken into, and when the police were called they came and dusted for fingerprints, and then actually found the perpetrators.
When I lived in San Francisco:
1-My car was broken into, window busted and my stereo stolen. Happened right in front of the police station. When I reported it, they did, in fact laugh in my face.
2-When an uninsured random kid plowed his car into mine and spun be around 360 then gave me a fake phone number. I asked the police to find him through the license they said if no one was hurt they couldn’t do it.
In contrast, when I lived in Berkeley and assisted a mugged victim and a year or two later when I was assulted on the street the cops were great. But Berkeley cops are very well trained.
I have, fortunately, not had to call the Seattle cops so I don’t know how they would respond. But BigBlue is naive and arrogant to call someone is a cop hater because they suggest the cops might triage the call. I think BigBlue has a chip on his/her shoulder.
When we lived in Magnolia a few years ago, our neighbor’s house was burglarized. We’ve been in Whittier Heights for three years now and last year our neighbor’s house was burglarized. Neither of them had a security system while we have had one the whole time. We have insurance for our health, our car, our jewelry and our lives. I think of the monthly security fee a bit like insurance against burglary.
Yeah, if you like living that way.
Right Debbie, it’s a much better lifestyle to be a victim.
A motion sensing light is better. It’s more energy efficient and it’s not light polluting by being on all the time. It is much more effective as a deterrent than simply having a light on. When someone triggers a motion sensing light they psychologically feel that they have been noticed and are being watched even if nobody else is there. It is also a clue to you inside that someone is there if it goes on.
Lebowski: “So do you guys have any leads, like on who did this?”
Cop: “Leads, yeah, sure. I’ll just check with the boys down at the crime lab, they’ve got four more detectives working on the case. They got us working in shifts!”
CALL. THE. POLICE.
If they’re busy with something more serious, then they might not come right away.
If there isn’t too much going on then they’ll come right over and prevent one of your neighbors from being robbed. or worse.
Get a dog.
How much do security systems cost? Is there a good security system or service in Ballard that someone can recommend?
I’m just saying that once you start with an alarm at home, what about when you visit someone else who doesn’t have one, then the hotels and omg, what about camping…..
The non-emergency number is not available at night, so call 911 and be sure that the first thing you say is “This is not an emergency”. Then they will treat the call the same way as a non-emergency call. I plan to start photographing people who knock on my door for no apparent reason. If they ask why, I’ll say it’s because there have been burglaries recently.
I also had a day break in recently. I live in a town home area where many of my neighbors are home during the day. I believe they came in from my patio door.
I have since insatalled a security system and a camera with warning stickers. Now I’ll warned if someone is around my property.
Yes, I’ve been the victim of a robbery and I must say the police in CHICAGO were much more helpful than the police in SEATTLE.
Regarding summoning the police, I’ve had mixed success, let me tell you about the incidents:
1: Homeless people fighting just north of the old dennys parking lot near 15th and Market. Knives were visible, blood was being spilled, rocks thrown about 10+ people involved. Police response time? 2 hours.
2: Sketchy people trying to talk their way in / follow in cars into a condo/apt complex garage . Police response time? Never. The dispatcher laughed and said call if you see them breaking any windows. Later that night, several cars were broken into.
3: Guy throwing rocks at cars near dennys parking lot on 15th street. Police response time: 40 minutes.
4: Homeless/sketchy folks trying to climb into a condos 2nd floor via the street level. Police response time: 1 hour.
etc…
I’ve spoken to a few friends in the area who’ve had similar stories. One thing they stated is if you say you are going to intervene or use some sort of “force”, the police response time will be immediate. Guess you have to threaten that you’re actually going to do something to get them to come out.
…and they work wonders for day time break-ins.
Best solution would be for one of these a@@holes to get shot breaking into a home. That would send a healthy message to the criminal class coming to Ballard.
…and they work wonders for day time break-ins.
Best solution would be for one of these a@@holes to get shot breaking into a home. That would send a healthy message to the criminal class coming to Ballard.
Don’t blame the cops, blame the criminal coddling ACLU, Urban League and Casa La Raza and their enablers at City Hall who tie the cops hands.
Don’t blame the cops, blame the criminal coddling ACLU, Urban League and Casa La Raza and their enablers at City Hall who tie the cops hands.
Living what way? Securely? I have an alarm, I call it my ‘rob my neighbors please’ system and geuss what…it works.
Living what way? Securely? I have an alarm, I call it my ‘rob my neighbors please’ system and geuss what…it works.
So people who have alarms can’t travel? I bet I’ve traveled more than you and been to places that would scare the s**t out of you. …and guess what, while I’m gone I don’t have to worry about my valuables and family heirlooms getting stolen.
My hippie neighbors? Robbed twice.
So people who have alarms can’t travel? I bet I’ve traveled more than you and been to places that would scare the s**t out of you. …and guess what, while I’m gone I don’t have to worry about my valuables and family heirlooms getting stolen.
My hippie neighbors? Robbed twice.