Seattle Police so slow to respond - No wonder crime is rampant in this city! (Tacoma: living, restaurants)

[thatguy950]

Originally Posted by Botev1912

More taxes? Taxes keep increasing without getting any benefits from them. Health coverage costs $500-1000 a month if your employer doesn't offer it (while all developed countries get it for a fraction of that), homeless and crime (mass shootings) have gone up (but nobody cares), roads and bridges are collapsing, traffic is a nightmare in all large cities. Nothing is done to fix these problems. It's ridiculous really. And they always want to increase taxes even more, so some politicians can get even wealthier. Corruption is real.

/thread

No matter how much money we give them it’s never “enough,” nor do the same standards of living within a budget apply like it does for everyone else. The sooner people realize 99% of ALL politicians in any major party go into politics to help themselves, rather than their constituents, the happier they’ll be.

[Finance2Tech]

This is what happens when the city is full of far left nutjobs, and the city is run by socialists. Crime, chaos, waste of taxpayer dollars, filth, all become part of life.

[CrazyDonkey]

Originally Posted by Botev1912

More taxes? Taxes keep increasing without getting any benefits from them. Health coverage costs $500-1000 a month if your employer doesn't offer it (while all developed countries get it for a fraction of that), homeless and crime (mass shootings) have gone up (but nobody cares), roads and bridges are collapsing, traffic is a nightmare in all large cities. Nothing is done to fix these problems. It's ridiculous really. And they always want to increase taxes even more, so some politicians can get even wealthier. Corruption is real.

Most developed countries spend half or less on health care with much better health outcomes. The do it by having everybody pay into the kitty and taking profiteering out of the system.

Homelessness and crime, while they might overlap, are not the same issue. What is irrational is to expect the police to solve what are fundamentally economic, social, and physical/mental health problems. We are already locking up more people, by far, than any other developed nation - our courts, jails, and prisons are stuffed to the gunnels. It costs us a TON of money, but only makes the situation worse. The reality is that those who are pushing for even more of a police-only "lock 'em up" approach aren't willing to pay for it as it is. I'm saying, let's try something different, which over the longer run will actually solve problems, rather than make them worse, while being cost-effective, rather than cost-prohibitive.

On mass gun violence in this country, other developed countries have shown how to deal with this: restrict access to guns, especially high-capacity, rapid-fire, military-style weapons, by people who shouldn't have them. Those who refuse to do ANYTHING to solve this problem except call for more guns have had their brains sucked out by the NRA and the gun manufacturing lobby.

Our roads and bridges are collapsing because for the last two decades we've been giving massive tax cuts to the rich, rather than investing in infrastructure (and not just infrastructure), which has only resulted in the rich getting filthy rich and most everybody else a lot poorer. This has ignited speculation, driving out investment, causing a boom-and-bust and bubble-and-panic economy the likes of which we haven't seen since the robber barons. People calling for more of the same have had their brains sucked out.

We're drenched in corruption because we're allowing the super-rich and hostile foreign powers to take over our electoral system. That's also why we're doing NOTHING to address any of the above problems, other than more of the same. That, and people having their brains sucked out.

[SunAndRain808]

Originally Posted by josie13

You think people who do smash-and-grabs don't know about the "cover bag with newspapers" ploy?

I've learned the hard way that you don't leave anything behind in your car, ever. Not a handful of change, not a pair of sunglasses, nothing.

This is ridiculous! Then why do SUV's and Minivans have trunk spaces? Obviously it's there for us to leave bags in there. The only difference is that minivans and SUV's have trunk spaces that can be seen if a passerby walks up to one's window to peep into the trunk.

Tough, I'm still covering up my belongings in the trunk with newspaper.

Why give someone an excuse to break in? When I first moved to the Seattle area, I drove to the city and left a child's rented clarinet inside my parked car. Of course the window was smashed and the instrument stolen.

Yeah, that's because you left the clarinet on the passenger's seat, or the back seat area in plain view of the passerby.

Different case for the incident that happened to me. i left my bag in the trunk area, ...and area where things aren't visible, unless you're in a crazy downtown area like Seattle where drug addicts walk up to people's vehicles to look into the trunk area.

In my very affluent Eastside area, people have learned not to leave student backpacks in locked cars parked in their own driveways, or workout bags, or laptop bags. Thieves will smash the windows and snatch the contents in a few moments when nobody is looking. When I leave my car at a Park and Ride, I don't even leave my registration and insurance papers in the glove box. No piece of paper with my address. Better safe than sorry.

You're not getting my point. What I'm saying is that I left my bag in an area of a vehicle where things are supposed to be stored away from the view of passerby (the back trunk).

You left your student backpack in front or on the top of the back seat area of a sedan vehicle. Of course your bag is in plain view.

I think it's unfair that sedan vehicle trunk area is completely closed off to viewing the contents to passerby, where as SUV and minivan back trunk areas are visible to the passerby that peers into the window.

You must have led a charmed life never to have learned this basic lesson.

No, I just have lived in areas outside of bum-infested Seattle where even homeless or drug addicts don't have to walk up to someone's SUV or minivan to peep into the trunk area to look for things to steal.

[SunAndRain808]

Originally Posted by homesinseattle

Sunandrain, I didn't think you put it in clear view, just visible to someone looking. That doesn't make it your fault, it sucks and I'm sorry. I grit my teeth when I clear stuff out of my car each afternoon, but I have learned to do it.

Thanks for your understanding, HomeInSeattle.

I was on a dinner date that night, so of course, I'm not going to carry a large tote bag with me into the restaurant while on a date. Who the heck carries a large bag with him or her while going on these kind of events? I don't even like placing my bag on the floors of restaurants where it's usually dirty (let alone, one of those Chinese restaurants in the International District).

[SunAndRain808]

Originally Posted by Boxkicker

No, I sure didn't think that....but then again...you said TRUNK in the original post...so duh!

I have an SUV and I know they don't have trunks. I know exactly what happened...so your fault...pretty clear as day!

Wow, so a person like you would carry a large tote bag with your work calendar and paperwork while on a dinner date to a restaurant? Please.

I find it comical that you would think the cops would spend time fingerprinting your car for a break in.

I have seen police officers in others cities, including my hometown of Honolulu, bring in detectives or the police officers themselves brush the window or surrounding areas for fingerprints. Yeah, Honolulu is not as large as Seattle (let alone, not a lot of crackheads with drug needles as here) and the frequency of certain crimes may vary. But it showed me how laisse fair the police department is here (downtown Seattle police to be specific....disregard other suburb areas) when it comes to solving vandalism.

I have also seen the procedures done on vehicle vandalism in places like the Chicago area. My friend's vehicle was broken into near downtown Chicago. Police came to the scene within 30 minutes. And Chicago is a BIGGER city than Seattle!

This isn't Hawaii 5-0 or Magnum PI.

Oooh, I forgot to laugh. Not funny.

...if you think it is go back to the islands!

make me.

[SunAndRain808]

Originally Posted by Finance2Tech

This is what happens when the city is full of far left nutjobs, and the city is run by socialists. Crime, chaos, waste of taxpayer dollars, filth, all become part of life.

Spot on, Finance2Tech!

[josie13]

Originally Posted by SunAndRain808

This is ridiculous! Then why do SUV's and Minivans have trunk spaces? Obviously it's there for us to leave bags in there. The only difference is that minivans and SUV's have trunk spaces that can be seen if a passerby walks up to one's window to peep into the trunk.

Tough, I'm still covering up my belongings in the trunk with newspaper.

Oh dear. Prepare for further hassle, then. If a portable object or a "covered" object is visible within a vehicle, you're risking a break-in. I'm sorry to say it, but that's just the reality in Seattle and some surrounding areas.

Yeah, that's because you left the clarinet on the passenger's seat, or the back seat area in plain view of the passerby.

Different case for the incident that happened to me. i left my bag in the trunk area, ...and area where things aren't visible, unless you're in a crazy downtown area like Seattle where drug addicts walk up to people's vehicles to look into the trunk area.

You're not getting my point. What I'm saying is that I left my bag in an area of a vehicle where things are supposed to be stored away from the view of passerby (the back trunk).

Yes, I understand your point. My point is that I left my child's rented clarinet in my locked SUV, in the "trunk" storage area, and even covered it up with a soccer team hoodie. This was in the pricey public garage at the Olympic Sculpture Park. A thief broke a window and stole the clarinet case anyway. So I wouldn't recommend leaving anything in your vehicle, whether parked in a garage or on a public street, unless you would welcome another break-in. Usually people learn after the first one.

You left your student backpack in front or on the top of the back seat area of a sedan vehicle. Of course your bag is in plain view.

Where did you get that idea? You're wrong. I learned my lesson from the clarinet theft. I was talking about the smash-and-grab thefts from vehicles in my residential neighborhood, where most people drive SUVs. These neighbors perhaps forgot to remove a personal possession from their locked vehicle, or forgot to close their garage doors after they drove their vehicle into the garage and walked into the house.

I'm not trying to upset you. I'm trying to warn you that scattering a few newspapers over a valuable object in your SUV storage area will not be enough to deter a thief intent on a quick smash-and-grab.

[SunAndRain808]

Originally Posted by josie13

I'm not trying to upset you. I'm trying to warn you that scattering a few newspapers over a valuable object in your SUV storage area will not be enough to deter a thief intent on a quick smash-and-grab.

Josie, I understand what you're saying. However, if I have an event, like a dinner date to attend, I'm going to have to leave my tote bag and some belongings in the vehicle.

I still think covering a bag, laying it flat though, and covering it with paper, newspaper, blanket, etc.....will deter thieves/vandals and what have you, from breaking into a vehicle with a visible trunk area.

At least that is what I'm resorting to. As long as it's not conspicuous that there is something underneath (i.e. a bag) the neatly laid newspaper, blanket,...etc., I don't think a passerby thief would think about breaking into the vehicle.

[Inkpoe]

Originally Posted by SunAndRain808

Josie, I understand what you're saying. However, if I have an event, like a dinner date to attend, I'm going to have to leave my tote bag and some belongings in the vehicle.

I still think covering a bag, laying it flat though, and covering it with paper, newspaper, blanket, etc.....will deter thieves/vandals and what have you, from breaking into a vehicle with a visible trunk area.

At least that is what I'm resorting to. As long as it's not conspicuous that there is something underneath (i.e. a bag) the neatly laid newspaper, blanket,...etc., I don't think a passerby thief would think about breaking into the vehicle.

That's still risking it. People are always watching. The newspaper ploy is what a good number of people already use.

It doesn't take long to ransack a car/suv. My friend was basically doing a run to a store and came back to his car broken into. His mistake was having a small pile of dirty sweatshirts in the back and it was clear they thought there was something under it. They only made out with one thing, his ashtray. They looked inside and saw he kept his coins in that. Nothing will deter car thieves if they think there's something in the car. Sometimes, having a clearly cleaned out car is not enough, they'd break in just to see if you have something under your seats.

If you really want to deter them... Make them work for it. There's a security film that you can put on your car windows. While it won't make the glass completely shatterproof, it doesn't break as easily. There are videos showing brick or other objects being smashing on these windows multiple times and the windows still mostly hanging. Thieves are looking for an easy smash and grab. Once they see the window still up, they'll move onto another car. Too much work/time and very attention attracting to try to break through these films.