Walking home from her boyfriend’s house Thursday at approximately 11pm, 24-year-old Wallingford resident Samantha had just crossed 38th St and Stone Way when she felt a tap on her shoulder. A man who had come up behind her without her noticing said, “Give me your bag.” She replied, “No” and kept walking. He tapped her on the shoulder, again asking for her belongings. She again refused, yelled loudly and punched him in the stomach. He then showed her he was carrying a gun and pointed it at her, demanded her bag, at which point she handed him her messenger bag. The perpetrator took off on foot down 38th toward Aurora Ave.
She described her attacker as a Hispanic male, approximately 5’5″ in his late 20s to early 30s, wearing a beanie hat.
Samantha explained that she had made it her personal environmental goal to start walking more and driving less. She says now, “Save yourself, then save the world. I’ve decided to only save the world in the daylight.”
Crime Rate Comparison between 2008 & 2009:
According to the Seattle Police Department’s reported North Precinct Crime Trends for the first four months of 2009 and 2008, it appears that violent crime is up significantly while crime against property is only slightly on the rise. But on the bright side, vehicle theft is down.
For more info: http://www.seattle.gov/police/Crime/2009_PrecinctCrime.htm
Street Smart Tips (copied from the SPD’s website):
GENERAL SAFETY TIPS
- Follow your intuition — trust your feelings. If you feel that a situation is not right, move out of the situation.
- Be aware of your surroundings. In social situations, be alert to places and situations that make you vulnerable.
- Walk confidently and alertly.
BEING SAFE ON THE STREET
- Be aware that walking alone at night may be dangerous.
- If you are being followed or you see a person or group further down the street who makes you feel uncomfortable, cross the street, walk in another direction, or ask other people walking if you may walk a short distance with them.
- Walk near the curb, in the middle of the street, and away from buildings, trees, and shrubbery, which can hide potential assailants.
- When walking near the car to your home or apartment, carry your house keys in your hand. Don’t stand in a doorway and fumble in your purse or pocket for your keys. Have them ready to use.
- Use a grocery cart when you have many packages. You make a good mark when your arms are full.
- Always dress so that movement is not restricted.
- Try to vary your routine routes of travel. Most rapists have been found to study their victim’s habitual patterns.
- While waiting for public transportation, keep your back against a wall (or pole) so that you cannot be surprised from behind.
- Know your routes. Notice lighting, alleys, abandoned buildings, and street people.
- Pick out places that you consider safer, places where you can either make a stand or reassure yourself that you are not being followed or watched (i.e., lit porches, bus stops, stores, etc.).
- If you are going somewhere in a city with which you aren’t familiar, check a map, know where you are going. Looking lost increases vulnerability.
IF YOU ARE CONFRONTED
- If may seem like a good idea to tell a robber that you have no money, but this technique may backfire. It is safer to give up a few dollars. Carry a little money separate from your other funds in an accessible place.
- If someone demands your property and displays or implies in any way that they have a weapon, don’t resist.
- If someone tries to grab you, make a scene. Scream, kick, fight . . . do what you can to get away and attract attention.
For more info about safety and prevention, visit: http://www.cityofseattle.net/police
Does anybody else feel unsafe crossing the freeway at 45th on foot? I’m a short-statured female of a ‘certain age’ and have never felt very comfortable being approached by the bums at the intersections. Now, it seems like more often than not, they give me the ‘stink-eye’ and I feel just plain threatened. It’s even scarier when it’s dark.
I’ve considered taking the 44 for a few blocks to avoid them, but it doesn’t seem fair that I have to pay bus fare because they’re allowed to misbehave. I don’t use the bus shelters there any more since 3 of them got into a fist fight over whose turn it was one day while I was waiting for the bus.
I’m not sure how they’ve done it, but other cities have successfully dealt with the ‘bums on the on-ramp’ problem. It would make me very happy if Seattle could figure out some way to control it before somebody gets hurt.
I’d say call the police (not 911 unless it really is an emergency) and Metro and complain. But if you’re just walking why not walk on the north side of the street? If you don’t like the overpass shelter go up to the Fremont Ave or down to the Stone Way stops.
Yeah you shouldn’t have to do this, but until your complaining has any effect it seems like the simplest way to avoid the hassle.
This is terrible. But I hope Samantha won’t be totally defeated. Seattle is still a relatively safe city in which to walk.
I’m wondering what the street lighting situation was on the night she was assaulted? Seattle has a huge backlog of unrepaired burnt-out streetlights, which is noticeable if you walk anywhere at night.
City Light has an ONLINE FORM you can fill out to report faulty streetlights. Don’t hold your breath, though, repairs might take awhile.
Our street light is on the blink, literally, most of the time. I understand that the city has out-sourced the bulb replacement to a private company and they are backlogged for months. That could really affect pedestrian safety!
Rob, There are shelters on both the north and south sides of the 45th Street bridge over I-5. Both are used and abused by the folks I’m referring to. When you’re eastbound, there isn’t any way to cross the street once you see who’s in them. Worse still, is the bus shelter on 5th Ave, just south of 45th, where they enjoy even less supervision. In spite of the fact that it’s well lit, the entire interchange has become a very bad area for this kind of activity.
It isn’t the hassle I’m talking about. I live 4 blocks west of I-5 and could easily take the bus across the bridge, but it’s offensive and an unnecessary work-around that I should have to take the bus those two blocks when I could easily walk to my destination in the U-District.
What I’m saying is that I’m not feeling safe when I walk there, especially at night. If Seattle’s policy is to allow bums to hang out, sleep and panhandle at the on-ramps, somebody (METRO or SPD?) is obligated to protect the rest of us from their misbehavior.
If you start calling the non-emergency number if and when you see open cans and keep it up the cops will show up. This particular group is the same group I’ve had confrontations with in the park where they go to drink. I finally got the cops to come when they threaten my 4 year old daughter. They have frequented the park much less since this incident. You shouldn’t have to go out of your way…
iyqtoo–Freeway. D’oh, I was thinking Aurora. Nevermind.