police-shoot-1.jpg
A new report on crime in Seattle may change the way the police do business. (AP Photo)

Study: Seattle crime concentrated to small areas

March 29, 2011 @ 4:56 pm (Updated: 5:31 pm - 3/29/11 )

By ALEX SILVERMAN
KIRO Radio
Listen to Alex's report

A new report on crime in Seattle may change the way the police do business.

The study from the city auditor's office shows half of Seattle's crime happens on less than five percent of its streets.

"This geographic area of concentration is often one address or half of a block or a corner," councilmember Tim Burgess said. "The concentration is even greater than we thought and it does not move. So over the whole 14 year study period that ended in 2004, those block faces did not materially change in Seattle."

Burgess said the Seattle Police Department is trying out the hot spot model, focusing on one crime-heavy block in the Central District to see how big of an impact they can have.

"(The study) suggests to us that perhaps we should consider moving from the policing of people to a policing model that is more driven by place or geography instead."

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Comments (14)


  • Add A Comment

  • HPD 5-0 wrote...
    Crime & "hot spot"
    March 29, 2011 6:54 pm
    Concentrate LE in one area and you just push crime to another. Seattle residents need to realize; 1. it's not Utopia 2. crime happens
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Bolo wrote...
    Thanks Oracle
    March 29, 2011 7:48 pm
    Brilliant observations homie. Should we roll over and play lord of the flies?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • snakyjake wrote...
    Where?
    March 29, 2011 7:58 pm
    For some reason the reporter doesn't want to tell us what blocks.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Snout wrote...
    I wonder what areas it could be....
    March 29, 2011 8:10 pm
    Hmmmm....
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Skeeter Diarbo wrote...
    Consultants....
    March 29, 2011 9:21 pm
    They read your watch and tell you what time it is for you. So you needed someone to tell you that the S. Jackson St/Central District area is the most concentrated crime area. Is there anyone who does not know that, including the citizens who live there? Nope...no crime problem in that community! Nope
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • boomshakalaka wrote...
    .
    March 29, 2011 9:37 pm
    sounds like racial profiling.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • hpitantso wrote...
    Central District "a single block "???
    March 30, 2011 12:46 am
    How about Belltown? There are more people that live in those Hi Rises that seem to part of the problem than in the worse so called hi crime spots in the city. Lot of Charlie Sheen's drugs and sex going on because they can afford it.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • sportsguru wrote...
    How about
    March 30, 2011 5:48 am
    The police station on Yesler & 3rd street? You ever walk past the police station and see all the crack transactions, sex proposals, fights, drug use ect going down right next to the police station during business hours. When they can clean that up, I will have confidence that they can get in there cars and police my neighborhood effectively.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • hpitantso wrote...
    len98531 wrote...Hots for Jose?
    March 30, 2011 7:14 am
    This was a child only on the earth 13yrs Jose was a child rapist who stole a life in every form of the word life
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • smitty (1) wrote...
    This is news???
    March 30, 2011 7:42 am
    Lets hold our breath, while we learn which neighborhoods are the bad ones.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }