SEATTLE — Businesses in Seattle’s Wallingford neighborhood are pleading for assistance from the city and the police amid a significant rise in burglaries.
Data from the Seattle Police Department indicates a substantial increase in break-ins over the past year, impacting local establishments.
According to the Seattle Police Department’s crime dashboard, the Wallingford neighborhood experienced 96 burglaries this year, a notable increase from the 56 burglaries reported during the same period last year.
This surge has led to mounting financial pressure and operational challenges for many local businesses.
Ostrow, owner of UWine Bar, detailed the personal impact of the repeated break-ins.
Ostrow shared that burglars stole a custom frame given to him by a friend for his birthday, which contained “Magic: The Gathering cards inside,” Ostrow said.
“All the profit we had made in the first year was taken out in one night” due to the burglaries, Ostrow said.
Ostrow says they’ve been burglarized seven times in eight months, and they reported nearly $50,000 in repair costs from these incidents.
The cost to replace a single smashed window from UWine Bar’s break-in over the weekend is approximately $4,000, and Ostrow noted that installation will take weeks.
He also highlighted the long-term financial consequences, saying, “our insurance premiums are going to go up significantly, and there is no way to get around those costs.”
Beyond UWine Bar, Ostrow indicated that the problem extends to other local establishments.
“On Stone Way itself, I can name seven businesses that have been hit,” he said.
Business owners have been urging the city and police for help, but Ostrow reported a lack of progress, saying that “in terms of any additional surveillance, any action, any policy change, there’s been nothing.”
Ostrow and other Wallingford business owners express concern that without intervention, their ability to remain open is in jeopardy.
“We are at the end of our lifeline,” Ostrow said.
The district’s council member, Maritza Rivera, addressed concerns about funding to manage ongoing break-ins.
“We just don’t have enough funding to be able to manage the constant break-ins to all of these businesses,” Rivera said. “Everyone is doing what we can, and we will continue to do so.”
KIRO 7 reached out to Seattle police for comment on the business’s concerns and has not heard back.
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