Report: Seattle's Georgetown neighborhood has crime problem

SEATTLE — A new report shows Seattle's Georgetown neighborhood has a crime rate 138-percent higher than the national average.

If you live in Georgetown, there’s a 1 in 15 chance you'll fall victim to a crime, according to a report by the Georgetown Public Safety Taskforce.

From January to May this year, Georgetown had a reported 148 thefts, 37 stolen cars and 50 burglaries.

So far, the majority of crime this year has been property crime.

In the report, the task force said it found seven major problem areas, including local motels that it linked to drugs and prostitution.

RVs are also attracting the homeless, illegal dumping and tying up police resources.

The report also says people living in the area feel that Seattle police focus more on other problem areas in the city and are unable to deal with the volume of crime in Georgetown. Some feel there's a poor response time to non-emergency issues and no follow up, so some people don't even report crimes.

It wasn't hard for KIRO 7 to find a victim.

"My equipment has been messed with. My wife is intimidated by that. She doesn't come around here anymore,” said Georgetown business owner Steve Hussey.

The report also includes recommendations for how to make the area better, including working more closely with police to tackle problems. But the task force said such ideas and proposals require more money.

The task force will ask for more funding to tackle some of the issues when it presents the report to city leaders on Wednesday.

Cox Media Group