South Center Mall -Tukwila Car theft and break ins (Seattle: crime rate, how much)

[LLVResident]

Has anyone had their car broken into in the South Center Mall or South Center Plaza mall just south of the main mall?

Last week, during daylight hours, while parked within feet of the front door of the Famous Dave's BBQ, someone smashed in the window of our car and grabbed a small packpack which contained a book and pack of gum. The back pack was on the floor, out of sight and contained nothing of value.

However, the cost to replace the door window was $600.00.

While walking around our automobile, in disbelief that someone would do this during daylight hours, with people coming in and out of the restaurant and Cost Plus and other stores, a Famous Dave's employee happen to walk out, coincidentally to see if his car was safe. Apparently, the employees park their car in front of the door as they fear the same. Another employee said his car was broken into twice and stolen once and recovered.

The Tukwila Police officer was very nice. He told us that the City knows about this problem and the City Counsel is doing nothing about it. Several other car break-ins had happened that evening. Apparently, the City of Tukwila's population is only 18k. However, with the shoppers, business employees, thugs, thiefs and gang bangers, it swells up to 100,000 during the day. So, the police and security are based on 18k, not 100k, which makes it a big city.

I know your next question is what about security cameras? Of course Famous Dave's camera is aimed directly out front door, and our car was one space over from where it reaches. South Center Plaza also has no security cameras. We never saw any security during our 45 minute wait for the police.

Our Famous Dave's dinner, which was delicious, now costs us $650.00. I wanted to see if anyone else has had this happen to them? While Famous Dave's was always a stop to and from the airport, I will NEVER go there again or anywhere in South Center again. I don't feel safe there.

If security is so non-existent that thieves, thugs and gang bangers are so bold to break into your car feet from a restaurant during operating hours, there is no safety or security anywhere in South Center or the City of Tukwila.

[Inkpoe]

You must be new here. The Southcenter mall area is incidentally why Tukwila has a high crime rate for a town of 18K. You're also more likely to be a victim of a car theft/burglary/nonviolent crime than a victim of violence in WA. If you had your stuff out in the open, then that's just inviting trouble and would've happen anywhere in public. Southcenter and a few other areas (like Dt Seattle, Capitol Hill, Greenlake, et.c) are the areas everyone knows for sure you better not have your stuff out. The cops never do anything about it... Your things are as good as gone.

[VeronikaW]

I know that area has a bad rep, but I've never had any problems there. I did try to avoid South Center Mall after they had a couple shootings there, but I've done a lot of shopping at the Cost Plus right there by Famous Dave's, and when the Babies R Us was on that side of the street, too. I might be more cautious now.

V. =)

[MaikeerinWA]

I haven't had this problem there, but I'm sorry you did. Like an earlier poster said, I will be more cautious. That's just astounding, to think that brazen thefts like this can happen in broad daylight and in a mall that is typically packed with people and cars. Thanks for sharing, and again, sorry you had to go through this. I remember how I felt when I left my GPS exposed in Seattle and had my window busted and the GPS device stolen.

Originally Posted by LLVResident

Has anyone had their car broken into in the South Center Mall or South Center Plaza mall just south of the main mall?

[happyhunting]

Wow, we were just at that Famous Dave's..........just curious, do you have a car alarm? If not I'd get one or at least a little blinking red light on the dash that looks like one. You'd think the thieves would be less likely to hit the cars with obvious alarms and draw loud attention to themselves. Ironically we were talking about dark tinted windows on cars here in WA, on a different thread. I'm glad mine are dark now, it's hard to see anything at all through the windows.

[LLVResident]

It's a german vehicle with the little red blinking lights showing that the security is armed. The thugs would have no idea whether there would be an audible alarm or not. I don't think there is an audible alarm for glass breakage. (Who pays attention to them any more anyway) With the security armed, you can't unlock the doors, gas cap lid, start the car as the gas is disengaged. The windows are dark tinted and the small bag was tucked under the front seat from the rear floor area.

I don't know how much more cautious one can be? Parked in front of the business, daylight hours, people coming in and out as it was the dinner rush?!? I could understand this happening if the car was parked on the side of the road next to a dark sidewalk at 3am in Capitol Hill.

I am not new to the area and had heard about muggings in the Nordstrom parking lot during the holiday seasons and heard about the shooting in the South Center Mall a few years ago. Ironically, I was at a happy hour a Joeys a few nights before the shooting. At 8pm I decided to pop in the mall to run an errand. At the back food court entrance near Joeys, based on the crowd hanging out at that entrance, I'm surprised I wasn't shot or mugged myself.

I did some reasearch on the crime rate in Tukwila. The average crime indicator in the US, (im not sure how it's figured out) is 341. Consistently, during the past 10 years, Tukwila's crime indicator has been around and over 800. This is over twice and in some cases nearly 3 times the average level in the US.

I'm not trying to be overdramatic here nor paranoid. But, this really is wrong. As Michael said above, it's amazing that thieves are brazen enough to do this during the day. Well, with the lack of visible security in South Center/Tukwila, the city is giving them the green light to do it. What's going to stop them.

I emailed my original post to Famous Daves Corporate Office. While I don't directly place blame on them for this. They are aware of the situation and should add their own security staff and additional cameras to protect their customers and employees who have all been affected by this. I'm out $600.00. (did I mention their food is really good) As I mentioned before. We had to wait about 45 minutes for the police to arrive as they had other breaks-ins in the area, we did not see one security office patrolling. Not walking around, not in a cart, nothing.

I'd seriously think twice about going to SouthCenter area again until security is increased.

[Inkpoe]

Originally Posted by LLVResident

I'm not trying to be overdramatic here nor paranoid. But, this really is wrong. As Michael said above, it's amazing that thieves are brazen enough to do this during the day. Well, with the lack of visible security in South Center/Tukwila, the city is giving them the green light to do it. What's going to stop them.

I'd seriously think twice about going to SouthCenter area again until security is increased.

Its not just the city that's "giving them the green light to do it", but also the regular people around who simply do not want to get involved and generally ignore (or be oblivious to) their surroundings. The mall itself does have some security patrolling around, but the other shopping complexes don't-- they do not want to pay for it and don't think they should. You don't have enough shoppers to boycott/make a point that this is a necessity.

Perhaps invest in a special film to put on your windows that make it almost impossible to break? While this doesn't mean you won't replace your window, at least you have the comfort that things weren't taken out of your car.

[wutitiz]

good post, thanks for the warning. Drive 30 minutes north to Bellevue Square Mall next time. Your biggest worry will be a Red Cross volunteer pestering you for a donation.

[Adrian71]

Well, it's a major shopping area, so naturally thieves are going to be out looking for shiny new merchandise to rip off -- and with so many people always milling around, they can easily blend in and not draw attention to themselves. And with it being such a massive shopping district, it's going to be difficult if not impossible to have every square inch monitored.

I think that's true just about anywhere you have a big conglomeration of retail establishments, though. Back in Michigan, in a town about the size of Tukwila, I parked in front of a store and was inside for maybe five minutes. When I got back out, my car had been broken into, and the jewelry box I'd slid under the seat before going in (I'd just bought a necklace as a gift at another store) was gone. You just never know when someone is targeting you. It could seriously happen anywhere.

I'm out at Southcenter at least a few times a week, and I've never felt unsafe there. But I'm probably tempting fate because I almost always leave a couple of CDs on the dash. So this is certainly a good reminder to always be cautious, at the very least.

[evergraystate]

Security film on the side windows. It works.