Belltown crime clips strike a nerve

We first posted the news last week about the Belltown resident who's created a YouTube group of crime videos, and now the story is all over the place, from the Seattle Times to the Seattle PI to KIRO TV. Some people say the woman who posted the video overstepped her bounds, but many Belltowners are glad that someone is finally standing up to crime in the neighborhood. But the issue, as the "Big Blog" highlights, is whether the videos will result in any change. The anonymous woman who shot the video says she called police but they never responded or asked for the tapes. Also, officers are not stepping up patrols. "The root of the problem in Belltown is that people are living on the streets. Period," writes Monica Guzman on the Big Blog. "But good luck convincing residents and the officials who serve them that slow, unsteady social change is more effective than tough, speedy lock-ups."

As the woman in KIRO TV's story said, "My heart is here, but there have been a couple times when I've been close to packing my bags."