Ruth Bayan
Northwest Asia Weekly
Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz and Victoria Beach, SPD African American Community Advisory Committee Chair (Photo: Assunta Ng)
The Seattle Police Chief had lunch with Chinatown International District (CID) business owners on August 24 who were in a state of tension after the recent break-ins and burglaries.
Adrian Diaz told Northwest Asia Weekly, “We have been conducting a community roll call with several police teams from CID, Little Saigon, 12th and Jackson, trying to solve the problem of people selling large amounts of stolen goods.” Diaz said that the thief kept breaking in. The company also sells goods at the “Outdoor Flea Market” on 12th Avenue. He said that the market has come and gone, and now it appears to be rising.
“We are trying to solve this problem through very strategic actions. Regarding where they get the goods and traffic the stolen goods, plus… there is an obvious presence. We include not only our officials, but also Our community service officer.”
The broken lock of Jianhe Pit (Photo: Assunta Ng)
Mr. Cui, who owns Jianhe Pit at 657 South Jackson, said that three people broke into his store last week and stole or damaged $20,000 worth of items.
“The thief stayed there for about 15 to 20 minutes. There were people walking around and there was a bus stop outside the store, but no one cared,” Cui told Northwest Asia Weekly.
The new lock of Jianhe Pit (Photo: Assunta Ng)
When his alarm clock went off, he was told that someone had broken in.
“The alarm company called the police and nothing happened, so I had no choice but to go to Chinatown to protect my property.”
Cui rushed to his shop from home and caught the thief inside on the spot. He took the stick and drove the suspect out of his shop until one of them fired a shot in the air-fearing his safety, he stopped Choi.
The Seattle Police Department (SPD) confirmed to Northwest Asia Weekly that the man who opened the gun was arrested the next morning at a homeless camp in Hejin on the 8th-it is not known whether the man lived in the camp. The man was identified through surveillance video captured by the Ciu system.
This is already the second time that Cui’s shop has been the target of attack that day. After that, Cui repaired his lock and installed a lock on his cash register.
The Seattle Vision Clinic, located in the same neighborhood, has become the target of many intruders this year.
Mr. Huang, the owner of Asia Bar-B-Que at 655 South Jackson, said that a man ran into his store this week and stole a tip can.
“I also chased thieves,” Wong told Northwest Asia Weekly. “Although there is not a lot of money in the jar, it is not right.”
Richard Chang of Kau Kau pointed to the new metal plate covering the hole in the recent breach. (Photo: Assunta Ng)
On the other side of the block, Richard Chang said that since the pandemic stopped indoor dining in March 2020, his restaurant Kau Kau BBQ has experienced two break-ins and multiple failed attempts.
From broken windows to looting cash drawers-Zhang hopes that installing security doors will prevent further intrusion and damage.
But to make matters worse, a contractor who was supposed to install a security door stole the $3,000 provided by Zhang as a deposit. Chang has hired a lawyer to sue the contractor.
Diaz cited CID crime data from early to July 2021, saying that although the crime rate is low, serious attacks (including shooting or shooting, and motor vehicle theft) have increased significantly. Burglary has decreased, but Diaz said this may be due to the victim’s failure to report it. He emphasized the importance of reporting every incident.
Diaz said that SPD officials have also been doing crime prevention work, meeting with companies and solving problems such as lighting and cameras.
Diaz said: “I hope I have the ability to get more police to take to the streets.” “Last year we lost 300 police officers… This is equivalent to 600,000 hours of patrol police hours.”
Ruth can be at editor@nwasianweekly.com.
