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Families worry crime to worsen as hundreds of SPD force still not providing proof of COVID vaccine

SEATTLE — From West Seattle to Phinney Ridge, two families lost their sense of security after feeling threatened in their own homes.

“I’ve never ever seen it at this level, and it is, it’s terrifying,” says Dorothy Rodolf.

She and her husband were just getting back to their Phinney Ridge home when they saw man blocking their front door.

Rodolf says his belongings were all over their front steps and he was charging a smart device plugged into their string lights wrapped around their railing.

The couple could tell he was agitated and calmly tried to get him to leave.

After speaking with the police, it was only then Rodolf saw his knife.

She says her husband noticed it first, adding “He didn’t lunge at him he didn’t make threats but he made sure it was seen.”

Across town in West Seattle an even more frightening ordeal for another couple.

Lynda Jao and her partner Geoff Taylor say a man just walked into their home early Tuesday morning, took of his shoes and coat, and made himself at home in their downstairs bedroom.

“The idea that someone had been able to walk into our house was completely shocking to us,” says Taylor.

Jao adding, “I’ve honestly considered what kind of weapon to have in the house. I felt helpless.”

Taylor ran down and kicked the guy out.

Now the couple has programmed their door to automatically lock.

It was left unlocked after guests staying in their home left overnight, and didn’t lock it behind them.

Back in Phinney Ridge, Rodolf believes incidents like these are going to become worse, especially with the lack of police officers on Seattle streets.

“Maybe 10 years ago they were like, ‘oh geeze maybe we’ll send somebody over,’ but not anymore,” she says. “They probably don’t have the people to do it.”

Already, SPD is short staffed and on Tuesday the department announced roughly a third of the remaining force hasn’t provided proof of vaccination.

The department still hasn’t said how many officers they expect to lose once the COVID-19 vaccine mandate takes effect, but some families worry incidents like these will become more frequent.

“You do have to be ‘eyeballs open’ to see what is happening for sure,” Says Rodolf.

Taylor adds, “It is increasing and it’s getting closer and closer on a regular basis.”