@3:

Because SPD is lying, they do not have extra patrols on the street. Maybe 1 or 2 on weekends. There are maybe 20 officers every night patrolling everything from SODO to the ship canal and west of I-5. That includes all of Belltown, Queen Anne, Magnolia, Pioneer Square, Chinatown-International District and parts of eastlake (look up a map of the West Precinct). 20 officers to cover that area on a Friday and Saturday night - ridiculous understaffing.

@4: NYPD have been under-reporting crime stats for a couple of years - advising victims to change their stories, and in one case, throwing a whistle blower in a mental ward.

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscar…

This is yet another example of how the subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) psychological tone of a city or region leads to a downward spiral of crime and unacceptable behaviors that soon affect innocent people in an increasingly scary fashion. Seattle prides itself on accepting just about anything, but honestly -- how's that working for ya? The mindset of Seattle vacillates between passivity, passive-aggression, and outrage -- usually over the wrong things, and in a vain attempt to achieve some sort of moral high ground that is more fashionable than practical. I've joked with others who tend to see the big picture with less naïveté and most agree: the "come as you are" attitude, with value judgements of any kind being discouraged (unless directed towards those with thoughts that are politically right-of-center, even centrist) has not served Seattle well ... and now we'll all have to live with the consequences.

And NO, I'm not a Tea Party right-winger ... I'm a rock n' roller, but an older and much wiser one. I've watched friends die of alcoholism and drug abuse, so I've seen firsthand how a naive and "anything's OK" mindset leads to tragedies. Sometimes it seems Seattle's problems stem from a pervasive and quite simple gutlessness -- just look at our weenie mayor! Was there even a hint of being pissed off when the May Day rocks came through the windows of his own home? No, in his usual meek/passive voice he made a joke about it. It used to make me angry when The Stranger's "Last Days" column highlighted some disgusting behavior on a Metro bus, and it was played off as a joke ... apparently about urban living. But now (more recently) increasing violence and attacks, both on the buses and at bus stops, have become more frequent -- it's not just some homeless and mentally-ill person picking off scabs and flinging them, or urinating. Seriously, is THIS the environment in which you aspire to live?

And I don't buy that the huge increase of property crime and vehicle prowls is the result of a down economy. The criminals will always do whatever they can get away with, and we currently have a feckless police force (who now have the DOJ wagging their finger at them if the SPD so much as farts in the direction of a not-yet-clearly-guilty perp ... more so if the possible perp now happens to be a member of any group that currently has a great deal of political capital in an increasingly PC world.) What will eventually happen is a political backlash because people don't want to be scared and live in a shithole. Frankly, I don't want to live in a more repressive and right-wing, societally stifling environment like certain cities in the Deep South ... and don't think we couldn't morph into that if the wheels continue coming off the bus. (Read history: Germany in the 20's, and into the 1930's). We have a very vested interest in growing some balls and stop being so passive and gutless. It's not cute, it's not truly progressive, and it's highly dangerous.

And sorry, Washington Ceasefire -- your dreams of gun control aren't the solution, either ... although your college-era-like idealism must seem charming to many, but not to me. I now carry a concealed pistol (legally) and have been well-trained. I cannot fully put into words how much more peace of mind it gives me. I have already fended-off one mugging/attack (I didn't have to fire, or even draw and show my weapon ... just draw back my coat slightly to demonstrate that I was willing to protect myself). All I had to do was NOT be as gutless as many in this city and that, for me, is a first step in being safe and secure and not living in a worried, cowed manner.

Honestly, Seattle ... it's time to grow a pair! It's time to be firm and proactive about the things that REALLY matter. The only people that benefit from the current state of affairs are the candle-makers who sell to the folks holding vigils; and that's just as far as it goes: "Oh, woe is me! Boo hoo!" -- few arrests, little done, more hand-wringing and then back to the usual hipster (child-like, passive, maddening!) way of looking at the world through deeply rose-colored glasses. Just remember, the psychological tone of a city or region DOES matter and has long-term consequences. And you reap what you sow!

@4 - really? No gun crime in New York? I was there for two weeks last September and on one weekend alone there were 47 shootings. Here's a more recent happening that you can see for yourself

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=de5_13344…

How about security cameras?