Update: Here’s a reply from Diane Horswill, a police crime prevention coordinator for the North Precinct. (And also someone who apparently is about to lose her job. We have coverage here and here.)
These kinds of neighborhoods crime typically occur in “bunches.” So you get a lot of activity in a short period in a relatively small geographical area. Right now the Ravenna, Roosevelt and Maple Leaf areas are higher than average while last month they were lower. To be able to make these comparisons you have to look at data over a period of time and average it out. Overall, I would put Maple Leaf in the average category crime wise on par with other neighborhoods with similar features including density, diverse housing (apt’s, single family, senior housing, etc.) a business district, major traffic and bus routes.
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Earlier this week, after we posted about crime in the neighborhood during the last two weeks of October, one of our regular readers – Simon – commented:
Statistically, is Maple Leaf comparable to other nearby neighborhoods, or better?
Also, is the burglary and vehicle-related crime rate trending up or down in Maple Leaf?
Since Maple Leaf Life isn’t yet a year old, we don’t have our own numbers to compare. But we’ve asked the Seattle Police Department what kind of stats are available, and will report back.
Thanks, Simon!
What are your feelings?
I’d prefer to follow the statistics. If you look at the same map for other northend neighborhoods, we’re about the same. Looking at the Maple Leaf map, seems most crime is concentrated west of 5th and close to the mall. Surprise, surprise. East of 15th means these criminals have to walk up and down hills, which might be a deterrent.
My “feeling” is that Maple Leaf is a safe neighborhood. I don’t worry about walking about in the dark, and my house isn’t a bunker. This is an emotional response though and has nothing to do with what the statistics may say.
The answer is “Yes”