Results tagged “crime” from Belltowner

Last week Belltown's Washington Mutual was robbed by a man police are now referring to as the "Bam-Bam bandit." (Honestly, I thought they only came up with terrible names like that on television shows. I guess not.) It turns out Mr. Bam Bam is suspected of robbing over ten banks in the last month before hitting Belltown. His real name is Brandon White and Kiro news has the video scoop.

There is a $1000 reward for anyone that provides information leading to the Bam Bam Bandit's arrest. Know something? Call 253-591-5959.

On Saturday around noon, a man walked into Washington Mutual's Belltown branch and handed a note to the teller demanding money by claiming he had a bomb. He escaped by foot following the robbery. Police think the suspect may be guilty of robbing another bank using the same method recently. Luckily no one was hurt.

Poor WaMu, they just can't seem to catch a break.

Two Seattle bike cops busted a crack dealer with two warrants on Sunday night on the southeast corner of 3rd and Bell. The officers approached a group of people when they noticed they were huddled at a bus stop obviously taking part in a drug deal.

One of the men who first falsely identified himself, was later revealed to have two warrants as well as a glass crack pipe in his pocket.

"Criminals call us ghosts," one of the bike officers said, because they look up and bike cops who weren't there seconds ago are looking back at them. "We're right there."

Let's just hope we start to see more and more "ghosts" in the neighborhood.

Seattle Police are saying that crime in the downtown shopping area is at an all time low after nearly $1 million in overtime was spent throughout the last year to increase police presence. A store owner in the area remarks that he has never seen the corner of Second Avenue and Pike Street, as well as the nearby streets bordering Westlake Center and Pike Place Market, so trouble-free.

Although this is great news, unfortunately the result has been (as we all know) increased crime in Belltown where there isn't nearly as much police attention. Police acknowledge the problem and say the department is looking at a similar emphasis project in Belltown later this year to address the crime increase.

Sounds promising, let's keep our fingers crossed. In the meantime Txori bartender Brett Paulson is taking matters into his own hands by gathering a 2,000 signature petition to send to the governor in hopes of bringing in outside help to clean up the neighborhood. Anyone wishing to sign the petition can do so at Txori.

A west precinct bike patrol officer was taken to a hospital Saturday night after a man he was trying to arrest on the corner of 2nd and Blanchard allegedly cut him with a surgical tool.

The officer was attempting to drop a bottle of Jaegermeister from the man's hands when the officer felt his thigh being cut at least three times. The weapon was later determined to be a pair of hemostats. Yikes.

The officer suffered a four-inch cut to his right thigh and had "sharp pain and bleeding" in the same area, according to the report.

The man was arrested and a check revealed him to be in his early 30's on probation with the Department of Corrections.

People getting attacked with surgical tools in the street? Wow. It really is getting to be a rough side of town.

Brett Paulson, barman at Txori, is circulating a petition asking Gov. Chris Gregoire to send in the Washington State Patrol "to help eradicate the open air drug trafficking," according to Seattlest. As we've written earlier, Councilman Tim Burgess is pushing his own initiative that includes more police patrols of the Seattle variety, not WSP.
Find a copy of Paulson's petition at Txori.

Seattle City Councilman Tim Burgess is championing a 12-point initiative to reduce street crime.

On his city Web page, he relays an anecdote about a recent experience in Belltown:

"I stopped at First Avenue and Battery Street (Belltown neighborhood) to drop off my laundry. It was just after 7 a.m. A group of eight people - six men and two women - were standing near the door of the laundry.

"One man had wads of cash in both hands. He was dickering with one of the women over price. She protested, "too much," and 'more than last time.' Here was an open-air drug market, unfortunately a less than desired yet frequent example of commerce in our city."

According to Burgess, the initiative would primarily:

• Pair police with mental health professionals to respond jointly to incidents


• Create alternatives to jail or hospitalization


• Continue the city's plan to increase the number of police in neighborhoods


• Increase financial penalties for patronizing a prostitute, then use the funds to restore peer-counseling and support groups for women involved in prostitution


• Create safe housing and transition services for children involved in prostitution


• Impose civil and criminal penalties on business owners and property owners who allow criminal behavior to occur and fail to take steps to stop it


• Call for more assertive policing targeted a gangs, illegal weapons, graffiti, and open-air drug markets


• Re-establish the city prosecutor's High Impact Offender Targeting Program


• Return school resource officers to some Seattle Public Schools

A woman says she was raped - for hours - in an alley near Pike Place Market as she was on her way to a job interview Saturday afternoon. WTH is going on in Belltown? Where are the police? Where were the good Samaritans? Unbelievable.

This is great news. It sounds like our neighborhood crime complaints are being heard. The PI is reporting that today councilman Tim Burgess will preview plans for a broad "Safer Streets Initiative". The initiative would target graffiti offenders, prostitution, open air drug markets, aggressive panhandling and business owners who knowingly permit crime on their property. Tim plans on discussing these ideas during the City Council's Public Safety Committee meeting today.

Although a spokesman for Mayor Nickels said he had not yet seen the Safer Streets proposal and could not comment, let's hope he puts these ideas into action once he does see them and that this is the first step in changing things around.

Local filmmaker and city council candidate Grant Cogswell and a friend were attacked on 3rd ave. in Belltown last Friday August 8 in what appeared to be a gay-bashing. Although Grant and his friend do not consider themselves gay, Grant's friend was dressed in drag for an event at the Free Sheep Foundation which led to a verbal attack from a group of nearby men. Grant says the men called them "F*cking faggots". This led to a string of insults exchanged back and forth between both groups and eventually to a physical confrontation. Grant and his friend were taken to the hospital where Grant received five stitches in his cheek, and doctors found that one of the bones around his eye socket had been fractured and his front teeth badly chipped. Grant's friend only suffered scrapes and bruises.

Grant says the man who kicked him was about 5'8 and Hispanic, wearing a white T-shirt. He says the attacker was accompanied by two tall black men, one of whom was wearing a blue jacket, and a tall white man with brown hair. Grant, who used to live in the neighborhood, says he's never seen anything like this happen.

It seems these days it doesn't matter if you're gay, straight, black, white, short, or tall. People are getting beat up in Belltown. Most of the beatings seem to be happening around that magical hour of bar close. My advice? Once you leave a bar at night, avoid conversation with anyone in the street and just go straight home.

"In Belltown people are under siege by drug-addled panhandlers, thugs who throw punches and rampant drug peddling. A man whose job it is to bring convention dollars to Seattle tells me he steers out-of-towners away from the heart of Belltown." reads Robert Jameson's latest article entitled "Where are city leaders as violence rages on?" I was saddened to hear that Belltown's reputation is officially going downhill.

In a comment left in response to our post, Belltown, the wild wild west? one Belltowner shared their idea of how to put an end to Belltown's current state:

"close down the clubs that attract the bridge and tunnel crowd, and the problem will go away. drugs have nothing to do with it. the example you gave about the guy that fell down in front of the father and daughter is unfortunate, but really how traumatizing will that experience be in the long run? the dip sh*t frat boy types that come from the burbs and try to start fights with people in belltown actually are dangerous."

I think Belltown's problem isn't caused by one "breed" of person at all. It's not just the "Crackheads" it's not just the "Bridge and Tunnel crowd" it's a lack of police attention in general. I think the idea of a neighborhood march demanding a change in Belltown sounds like a great start. Anyone interested should send an email to: safebelltown@gmail.com.

Daniel Stoy, the out of town visitor who was beaten unconscious by an unidentified group of 6 men in Belltown last week has been released from the hospital. He was in the hospital's neuro-intensive care unit until Wednesday, and was eventually released from the hospital late Friday.

He will stay with his parents in a Seattle apartment until he is well enough to travel home. Let's hope he is able to make a full recovery.

You may recall us quoting an article by the PI's Robert Jameson last week which voiced his concerns about Belltown's ever increasing crime and drug problem. Today he touched on the subject again, announcing that Mayor Greg Nickels "ignores problems as obvious as a hand slammed in a door." Who is to blame for these shootouts, beatings, and drugs in Belltown? Yuppie revelers? Drug dealers? Hostile panhandlers? People high on drugs? Gangbangers? Invisible cops? Belltowner Constance Rodman's answer is, "It's a combo. Everyone knows they can come here and get a free pass, for driving drunk, for disturbing the peace, for dealing."

I've been a little torn on the subject. I've found myself questioning whether the problems in Belltown are all that bad, and if open air drug use and aggressive homeless people are expected when living in a downtown area. My doubts were diminished when over the weekend I was enjoying a dinner near 2nd and Bell. A little girl and her Dad were skipping around playfully on the sidewalk when a man approached them with a cloth in one hand which he was "huffing" (probably paint thinner or something that has similar effects) and a can of alcohol in the other. He started aggressively mumbling jibberish to them, and fell to his knees blocking their path.

Now that's just not cool. A parent shouldn't have to worry about his kids getting confronted by people with eyes rolling in the back of their head. It was a disturbing scene. I think more police attention is definitely called for. Belltown should have the reputation of being a place where people come to experience nightlife, fine dining, art, and culture, rather than a reputation of being a dangerous "wild wild west" where anything goes.

Belltowner Katie wrote me an email today which suggested Belltown residents come together and take action towards catching Mayor Nickels attention.

"Has anyone thought about doing a "Take back our Streets" march in Belltown? Maybe if we shout loud enough and more news reporters in the area were able to see how serious residents are about getting rid of the crime in the area, Mayor Nickels might hear us. We could all wear plastic bags on our heads so we could get his attention.

I think you should use your blog to start a dialog on this.

Katie
Resident of Belltown"

The plastic bags idea is rather clever. What do you think about this idea of a march?

After Microsoft employee Daniel Stoy was punched unconscious several days ago, police are seeking witnesses to help identify the people responsible for the violence. "We don't have very many witnesses and we have very general, vague descriptions of the suspects," Police spokesman Mark Jamieson said.

Stoy is still in Harborview Medical Center in critical condition after his slam to the head over the weekend

Anyone with information is asked to call the police Homicide Unit at 206-684-5550..

"You can't miss them. They shoot up with needles against the wall of the upscale Flying Fish at dinnertime. They walk in packs asking, "You OK?" - code for "Do you want drugs?" They're of all races and ages, men and women alike, and in varying degrees of mental health. Some talk to themselves. Others punch the air. Some openly sip drinks called Evil Eye, fortified with 10 percent alcohol, and scream at no one, anyone....You'd think a mayor who wages war on plastic bags and nightclubs could find the political will to address this scourge in plain sight." writes Robert L. Jameson Jr. of the Seattle P-I.

It's no secret that there is a major drug problem in Belltown which is less than discreet. In my experience as long as I avoid certain streets at certain hours I never feel in danger. But what about those people who work or live in those problematic areas? People who can't walk in peace without being aggressively hit up for cash or witnessing blatant drug use?

Donna Moodie, owner of Belltown restaurant Majorie who is no stranger to the brashness of the area wonders whether a crackdown is overdue. She hopes political correctness hasn't handcuffed police.

What's worse is, Belltown's Recovery Cafe, a meeting ground for hope for the neighborhood's recovering addicts, is going away due to new development.

To read the rest of the P-I article which speaks pretty passionately about how things need to change in Belltown, click here.

Some crime news from over the weekend. Apparently a Microsoft employee visiting from North Dakota for a company conference was beaten early Sunday morning. Witnesses say victim Daniel Stoy was standing outside a Belltown bar on 1st ave. when a single punch caused the man to slam his head against the sidewalk. He was rushed to the hospital unconscious and has no recollection of the beating. The victim's father who is a doctor, says his 29-year-old son might have speech and memory problems for years.The police are still checking surveillance tapes to identify suspects.

It's really too bad how many beatings we've had over the last few months on 1st ave. I'd say a word to the wise would be to hop in a cab immediately after bar close to avoid any drunken confrontations.

Earlier this morning at approximately 11am a bank robbery occurred at a Wells Fargo in West Seattle. Police chased down the suspect eventually blocking his car at 1st and Spring st. downtown. When the suspect refused to exit the car and even displayed a handgun, the Police opened fire. The man was shot in the neck and is currently in intensive care.

"I was walking down the street. I've only been here a couple of days," said a downtown tourist from England. "I thought they were shooting a movie. When I see this in the movies, I thought it was overkill. I thought it was Hollywood, but that's just America."

Wow, quite the excitement for a Tuesday morning.

More unfortunate violent news from over the weekend. Apparently early Saturday morning a dispute over who would be the first to exit a parking garage near O'Asian Kitchen on 5th ave. The dispute resulted in a 50 person brawl causing a woman to be beaten, another stabbed in the abdomen, and a man arrested for assault, according to police.

Apparently two separate groups, one of men and one of women, had left the restaurant and got into an argument about who would be first to exit says Seattle police spokeswoman Renee Witt.

The women, in one car, got in front. One of the men got out of another car and started an argument with the women. The man pulled one of the women out of the car and "began stomping on her." Whoa, I guess chivalry is dead.

At that point, onlookers got involved and the scene turned into a "free for all, a huge melee," Witt said. Responding officers estimated 50 people were involved.

A man stabbed one of the women in the abdomen, who was treated on the scene and taken to Harborview with non-life-threatening injuries. The suspected stabber was arrested and booked into King County Jail for investigation of assault.

Talk about road rage.

Some Belltown crime news from Sunday evening. Apparently Seattle police are on the search for a suspect who shot three men during a confrontation that occured at the corner of Blanchard and Western last night. There may be possible fourth victim based on witness reports.

All three of the men were shot in the leg, then later treated at Harborview Medical Center.
Police believe that the suspect fled the scene in a black Honda and released no further details.

Anyone hear this commotion last night?

This is the kind of news I hate to post. Sad indeed. Seattle detectives are investigating the death of a man who was severely beaten on the 2000 block of 3rd avenue by a group of 7 people in late May. 51 year old Vince St. Clair died June 2 at Harborview Medical Center.

One neighbor said he doesn't know why anybody would have attacked Saint Clair. "I've seen him in the area and he tended to mind his own business when I've seen him," said Leon Richardson.

This is still an open investigation.

Um, this is sort of embarrassing. Apparently over the weekend a fellow Belltowner in an attempt to do his part in "cutting down drug dealing" threw a large 12-inch butcher knife out of his fourth-story apartment. Yea.

Apparently the knife landed on top of a Metro bus stopped near 3rd Ave and Pine St. and bounced onto the street just after 3pm Saturday. Luckily no one was hurt.

The knife-throwing suspect apologized and explained to officers he was sick of all the drug activity in the area and the lack of police response. He claims no one was around when he threw the knife.

Riiiiight....

A little crime news for you. According to a police report, a sting was initiated in Belltown on Friday night due to various citizen complaints about drugs and other criminal behavior. The undercover officer involved says he was offered what looked like crack cocaine for $30. The officer passed on it and walked away. A few hours hours later, as the officer was striking a deal with another man, the first dealer stepped in and accused the officer of being a "snitch," which scared off the second suspect.

The officer then entered another drug deal with a different man and woman, when the first dealer approached him and again accused the undercover cop of working with the cops.

The arrest teams then swept in and picked up the first guy for "Drug Traffic Loitering." Officers say they found .5 grams of crack cocaine on the guy, who also had a felony warrant for escape out of the state Department of Corrections and a misdemeanor warrant for driving while his license was suspended. Yikes.

This sting is great news. This means that police are not only listening to Belltowner's complaints on the crack problem, but taking action!

Two very enthusiastic anti-crack thumbs up!

Not a fun story. This morning at 12:35am shots were fired from an SUV on 9th and Madison hitting a Mercedes parked on the street. The intended victim was thankfully not injured.

The suspects fled, but police claim that the victim "knows who did it".

Although the shooting wasn't quite in Belltown. It's close enough for me, thanks! That's scary stuff indeed.

This is frightening. A woman walked into the restroom at El Gaucho here in Belltown when she saw a man waiting inside a stall. "He wanted someone to walk into that stall," she told KING 5. "He was not just the normal peeping tom... Everything in me froze and I said this is not happening, he was so deadly silent." El Guacho employees tried to catch him, but he got away.

The Belltown Messenger has provided this link to the power point presentation shown by Captain Steve Brown at the recent Belltown Community Council meeting. There are some interesting Belltown crime statistics in the presentation, including the significant increase in calls to police concerning narcotics since last year.

The Belltown Messenger newspaper continues to stick by their strong opinion that the YouTube "crackhead" videos were out of line. "These clips, no longer publicly viewable, were placed by an anonymous 26-year-old white female who moved into an apartment here and was shocked to find poor people hanging out in the alleys." reads the article.

We continue to remain surprised over here at Belltowner that a neighborhood newspaper defends crackhead rights over those of a concerned resident.

We love the YouTube drama, let's face it. Belltowners continue to post videos of drunken/homeless action outside of their apartments. The latest video, entitled "Bum and Belltown Guy Fight", is far from exciting, but just in case you wanted to see, click here.

I'd be interested to know if the woman who posted those videos of the people smoking crack in her alley has seen any changes in her area after all the media coverage.

Folklife Festival is a place for drum circles, sunshine, and frolicking in the fountain. One guy decided however, that would be a good idea to start shooting people on Saturday. Apparently his gun "accidentally" went off after attempting to pistol whip another man, shooting the thigh of one woman and the hand of another man. Neither of these people were involved in the brawl.

Everyone surrounding the scene began to panic. "Then everybody ran," a witness said. "One poor little girl almost got run over."

Police arrested a suspect and onlookers taunted him, some even throwing trash. One guy got into the suspect's face, screaming, "This is a peaceful event!"

Let's just hope that the victims are alright.

What a jerk.

(Notice the frightened lizard behind the suspect.)

Last Friday afternoon, a driver who police believe to have been intoxicated at the time, was driving on 5th ave. when he hit an unsuspecting pedestrian in the crosswalk.

The victim is a 56 year old woman who was taken to Harborview Medical Center for life threatening injuries.

Drunk driving is never a good idea, guys. Let's hope the woman is alright.

Belltown Messenger Publisher Alex R. Mayer posted this clip on YouTube as a parody of the woman who videotaped drug-dealing outside her apartment window. (If you're like me, you'll watch the first 30 seconds and then wonder why you clicked on it in the first place.) As we've been reporting, Mayer has been widely ridiculed in the neighborhood for criticizing the woman for posting the crime videos -- even calling her a "coward." Now Mayer has posted a message on Belltown Messenger (scroll down) saying he sympathizes with her. "I wouldn't want to be a young female trying to drive my car into the garage at Concept One Apartments with all those sketchy types around," he writes. But then just when you think he's warming up to the idea that she did a good deed, he adds, "But she was far from tactful. She was even cruel." Ah, yes, exposing crime is so cruel. So unkind.

The woman who shot the video of drug deals behind her Belltown apartment and posted them on YouTube has now made the clips private. "It was never my intention to keep shooting videos or leave the videos on for a long time," she writes on her YouTube page. "Just wanted light to be shed on the problem. It obviously worked (and got blown out of proportion a bit), now let's see if it makes a difference."

Meanwhile, the Belltown Messenger has gone crazy over the story, as illustrated by this big headline on a page dedicated to the "Belltown Peeper."

It all began when Publisher Alex R. Mayer posted a comment here on Belltowner when we broke the story, calling the woman a "cowardly, racist, anonymous poster." Now Mayer tells the Big Blog that he's taking partial credit for the woman making the videos private.

If you ask me, I find it odd that the neighborhood paper is defending crackhead rights over those of a concerned resident. And apparently I'm not alone (scroll down to comments). After all, she's not the only one who's noticed the Belltown drug problem. Take a look at this photo taken in January of a sign posted just a block away from where those videos were recorded:

Photo by Crashworks on Flickr.

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."

Belltown's famous See Sound Lounge was robbed on Monday evening. Instead of picking a lock or breaking in through a window the robbers actually built a tunnel through the wall!! They stole $30,000 worth of equipment.

The following email was sent out Tuesday from one of the owners, Bryce:

That's right we were cleaned out last night. Flat screen TVs, turntables, amps, cdjs monitors, etc. etc. The most standout piece is a blue Turbosound processor which no one else likely has locally. Please hit me up if anyone comes across a pile of used gear in the near future (especially from a dodgey source).

If anyone has any information they are encouraged to contact See Sound Lounge at: (206)374-3733

Mayhem in Belltown this week I tell you! Robberies, beatings, and don't even get me started on the pigeons. I'm usually the first to stick up for Belltown's reputation, but this is just getting downright embarrassing and sad. What is going on?

A University of Washington senior resident physician is in serious condition after a fight on 3rd and Cedar on Sunday night. Police say Peter, who's full name has not been disclosed, was walking with friends when one of two guys walking by made a racial comment. Words were exchanged, and police said Peter hit the ground hard after he was punched. Detectives are searching for the suspects as well as anyone who may have witnessed the attack.

Exhausted by the disturbing activities going on outside their apartment window, a Belltowner has decided to start a YouTube channel in hopes of drawing attention to the neighborhood's ever increasing drug problem.

"I live in Belltown...I work here, shop here, eat here, drink here, jog here and spend most of my Seattle time here," the Belltown resident says. "I want to continue enjoying my neighborhood and feeling safe at the same time. I feel after many many calls to police, with no response, I am shooting and posting videos to shed light on what really happens, and hopefully, the city and police will take notice and help clean up our block, " writes the creator of YouTube's channel named BelltownCrime.

This is the kind of news that really makes me sad. Apparently last Sunday Apr. 29th, a woman stepped out of a club in Belltown at about 1 o'clock in the morning accidentally causing a car to come to a stop. The angered passenger got out of the car and beat the woman so badly that he crushed her eye socket, shattered her cheek bone, broke her jaw, and busted her teeth. When her friend tried to defend her, the attacker punched her as well, breaking her nose. "I just don't know why you would do that to somebody," said the victim.

The victim, who has requested to remain anonymous out of fear of her attacker says that he was riding in a maroon car with two other people at the time.

Anyone with information on the case should call the Seattle Police Department.

Very very sad news.

Some jerk has been shooting downtown pigeons in the head with darts from a blow gun, lodging directly behind the birds' eyes without penetrating their brains. That requires some serious aiming skills. Looks like someone has been playing too much Halo.

That's just creepy. Please stop.

After the shooting at Belltown'sTabella the concern for safety in clubs in understandable. But are clubs going overboard? I snapped a photo of Toi's sign hanging in the window and couldn't help but feel like it was a bit intense. I don't wear baseball caps or baggy pants personally, but what if I did? Does that mean I'm bound to shoot someone? I think it's a little discriminating personally.

On a side note, have you ever actually seen a woman with a grill? Just wondering.

There is an article in the Seattle PI today claiming that despite police and community efforts there are still are high levels of crime in Victor Steinbrueck Park (about a 10 minute walk from Belltown in front of Pike Place Market.) Unfortunately that's just the way it goes. It's the same story for the Belltown dog park, a meeting ground for drunks and crackheads. Officers can't arrest someone for sitting in the open park. And when told of possible drug deals, they have to find proof that will stand up in court.

So how do we solve this problem? Should I submit a text-a-crime?

Starting today anyone with information on a crime in the Seattle metro area can text a crime tip to the authorities.

Seattle is the third U.S. city to implement the text-a-tip program after Cincinnatti and Boston. Tips are texted anonymously to Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound.

"Today's generation is into text messaging. E-mail and telephones are, like, things of the past," said Ron Conlin, Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound president, adding, "We think this will basically open up Crime Stoppers to a lot of eyes and ears that maybe hadn't been opened before."

This service seems particularly helpful for those of us living in the Belltown neighborhood as we all know there can be some shady activity going on at that dog park.

If you see a crime, text CRIMES or 274637.
Your text should begin with "Tip 486" and should include a space before typing in the crime details. You will receive an alias that you can check on, in the case that your tip leads to an arrest and possible reward.

Some jerk caused tens of thousands of dollars worth of damage last night at about 2:30 am starting at 5th and Denny ending at the 2400 block of Dexter.

Reports say that after he initially struck a vehicle on Denny, he was followed by A Good Samaritan all the way to Dexter where he then lost control of his SUV and slammed into a dozen parked cars.

When the car came to a stop all four people inside the vehicle ran off. Three of them were caught, but the driver still remains at large.

Luckily no one was hurt.

From the dog park, to the community pychiatric clinic, to the many shady alleys, we all know there are some wacky people hanging around Belltown. However I find that as long as you avoid those places at night, and deal with the occasional confrontational crackhead by staring straight ahead with intent, you're fine.

Run-in's with aggressive homeless Belltowners are rare, and although I have felt uncomfortable at times, I've never felt in danger. The rowdy drunks are part of downtown living. Sometimes it even makes for excellent entertainment! There are bad eggs out there I'm not saying there aren't, but most of these guys are just lost souls looking to get drunk, not to beat you up and take your money.

I can't help but roll my eyes when people exaggerate the circumstances in Belltown. Take this review for example that I read by MillyJoe on Virtual Tourist:

"...Every public park is infested with urine soaked bums, drinking, begging, yelling and in general exhibiting extreme antisocial behavior...My ten year old daughter witnessed a grown man of about 50 deficate near a rose bush in park by the Space Needle...It is a scary, dirty, nasty place filled shiftless panhandlers who scream and yell if you do not give them a dollar or two...."

Belltown is not that bad!

Or is it?

After the police sting operation against 15 Seattle nightclubs back in August , followed by the arrest of 15 bartenders and bouncers, a not-guilty verdict was reached in the case of Belltown bartender, Daniel DeLeon. DeLeon was arrested after patting down an armed patron who turned out to be an undercover police officer. He said he didn't feel any weapon, but police disputed that claim.

DeLeon said of the jury's not-guilty verdict, "I gained more faith in the justice system. What they were trying to accuse me of was absolutely ridiculous. Now we have it on the record so if the city tries to be stupid and tries to pull something like this again, the accused has something to fall back on."

As you may recall there was a lot of questioning going on about whether the sting was politically motivated since it happened one week before a City Council vote on an ordinance that would have required nightclubs to have a special license. The license would give the city power to shut down clubs that repeatedly fail to prevent violence.

While I feel safety is important and should be enforced, I have to say I think police went overboard on this one.

Some crime news from over the weekend. Late Saturday night a man reported as "extremely intoxicated" called to inform the police that someone had been stabbed near the Moore Theatre. When police arrived, they found the victim with a stab wound to the rib cage. He was rushed to the hospital (don't know his condition), and police were able to arrest a suspect.