West Precinct officers arrested a prolific burglar last night in connection with at least fifteen burglaries. The 35-year-old suspect had several warrants and was booked into the King County Jail for multiple counts of burglary.
The suspect was taken into custody without incident and a vehicle he was associated with was impounded pending a search warrant.
West Precinct detectives will handle the follow up investigation.
Over the last week, Seattle Police have received nearly twice as many reports of burglaries at businesses compared to the same period in 2019, jumping from 54 to 104.
Many business are temporarily closed, and could potentially be targets for burglars and thieves. Here are a few ways you can help deter criminals and protect your business:
- Make sure your business’s address and signage is visible from the street
- Post emergency contact information at the front and rear of your business.
- Ensure all doors can be locked with deadbolts.
- Install latch guards no smaller than 11-inches over locks.
- Windows should have secure locks and shatter-resistant glass.
- Consider installing security film on vulnerable windows.
- Remove expensive items from visible store displays.
- Keep your business well-lit inside and out.
- Leave registers open and obviously empty after closing.
- Consider installing cameras and alarm systems.
- Have mail stopped and held at the post office or forwarded to another location.
- Check on your business regularly and work with neighboring business owners to keep an eye on each others’ storefronts.
- For carry-out businesses, move tip jars behind customer service counters and add additional signage to let customers know your business accepts tips