Eye on crime

Jim Johnston talks to his neighbors.

If someone from the neighborhood cul-de-sac is on vacation, he usually knows it.

“We have to look out for each other,” said Johnston, who lives with his wife near Mill Creek’s Parkside neighborhood. “I keep an eye out. If I notice someone’s newspapers are piling up in the driveway, for example, I’ll assume they’re out of town and pick the papers up for them until they return.”

It’s the little things, Johnston says, that prevent crimes of opportunity, like vandalism and burglary.

Johnston checks the latches on his gates regularly to make sure no one but he and his wife have access to the back side of the family’s home. He leaves his porch light on at night and pays attention to what’s going on in his neighborhood and surrounding neighborhoods.

“No one likes to think that crime is in an issue of concern in their neighborhood,” Johnston said. “Unfortunately, it is an issue. These are upscale homes and everyone knows that the people living in upscale homes are the ones with all the stuff.”

Crime in Mill Creek rose to record highs beginning in 2005.

Police responded last year to 83 reported burglaries, 54 reported car thefts and 184 reported car prowls — an anomaly of increased activity which city officials attributed to high turnover in the police department.

Despite current statistics, which show property related crimes are down an average of 30 percent, residents seem more concerned about neighborhood security than ever before.

According to the 2007 statistics released by the Mill Creek Police Department, calls for service are up approximately 65 percent over the previous year.

“People are more aware now that criminals don’t just commit crimes in their own neighborhoods,” Police Chief Bob Crannell said. “You have a lot of people who came to Mill Creek 20-some years ago when it was considered the middle of nowhere. Today, there’s no distinguishing whether you’re leaving Mill Creek or entering Everett or Lynnwood. They are all connected.”

The result of increased development in south Snohomish County is increased criminal activity, Crannell said.

City leaders responded to the problem in 2006 increasing the police department’s budget and staffing — actions that allowed Cranell to implement a number of crime prevention initiatives, including a citizens police academy.

“Most of our actions in the police department leading up to that were reactionary,” he said. “We weren’t operating in a structure that allowed us to prevent crime.”

With more officers on staff, the department has been able to increase patrols — be it traffic enforcement or security probes of local neighborhoods.

Candidates running for City Council have jumped on the issue, campaigning for increased city spending on police services. But, Crannell says, it will take more than money to secure the community.

“I don’t believe the answer to crime is throwing more money and officers at it,” Crannell said. “Citizens have to be vigilant as well.”

That means following the example of residents like Johnston — communicating with neighbors and looking out for one another, especially those more vulnerable to criminal activity.

One Mill Creek woman, who asked that she not be identified for fear of retaliation, wishes that police, neighbors — anyone — would do a better job monitoring activity in neighborhood parks, where frequent late-night partying sometimes leads to vandalism and other crimes.

The elderly woman, who lives alone in a house bordered by one of the many parks in the Mill Creek Community Association, was startled awake about a year ago by the sound of her door bell at 2 a.m.

“When you’re all by yourself, it’s scary anytime a stranger comes to the door,” she said. “None of the lights were on, so I just ignored whoever it was at the door. About 20 minutes later — I can only imagine it was a group of youngsters – they were back throwing rocks at my front door and the sides of my house.”

The troublemakers left when she turned on her lights, but why were they there in the first place?

“If you want to reduce the amount of crime, I think keeping a closer eye on our parks is a good place to start,” she said. “They’re supposed to close at dusk, but I can’t remember a night this summer there hasn’t been somebody messing around in the park by my house.”

Reporting worrisome activity to police is one way Crannell encourages residents to protect themselves.

Talking with neighbors is another.

He said crime will be a problem as long as people have things to steal. It’s up to residents to protect their property and take the necessary security precautions.

“Most of these crimes are crimes of opportunity,” he said “If you leave you’re iPod Nano and your Blackberry sitting in your car, especially an unlocked car, chances are a prowler is going to seize on that opportunity.”