There was so little bad news at last night’s East Precinct Crime Prevention Coalition that one participant joked that the format may have to be changed and everyone will have to bring good community building stories just to fill the time.

The the discussion circled around the room, person after person noted how few issues there were in their area:

• Seattle U – Seen some problems with graffiti around the perimeter of the school, but not much else
• Leschi – “very quiet on all of the blockwatches”, and the area around 28th & 29th is much improved after some problem tenants were removed
• Squire Park – Some disturbing graffiti around Swedish, but overall “much quieter.” A slight uptick in drug activity at 21st & Union, with 2-3 incidents seen in the last month
• 27th & Spring – Activity at one problem house has been low for a while, but may be picking up again. One problem resident who was gone for a while is now back
• 24th & Spring – Some new problems with panhandlers around Key Bank, but nothing else
• 24th & Olive – Issues with illegal dumping in an alley there, and one neighborhood resident was seen doing a drug deal there too. 
• 23rd & Union – One resident says it’s been “unusually quiet” around the post office, but there were 2nd-hand reports that other residents have seen an uptick in issues there. SPD also said that they’re aware of increased problems and increasing patrols in the area.

East Precinct Captain Dermody said the official stats show a clear decrease in crime too:

• Part 1 crimes (felonies, the most serious) are down 36% between 2005 and the end of 2009
• Residential burglaries are down to 31 in the last month, compared to an average of 53
• Non-residential burglaries are down to 8, vs. an average of 21 each month
• Auto thefts are down from a recent high two months ago
• A prolific car prowler has been arrested, and SPD is hoping to see a big decrease in those crimes as a result
• The gang unit made an arrest near 23rd & Union on Wednesday. Suspect was on parole, and found to be carrying drugs. He’s now in jail without bail while detectives build a case.

We also got a detailed presentation from the leaders of SPD’s Special Assault Unit, which handles sexual assaults and monitors sex offenders in the city. Four of their eleven detectives are assigned to keep a constant tab on the whereabouts of registered sex offenders, making sure that their registrations are up to date and arresting them if they fail to comply with the state’s strict notification laws.

There’s 1,100 sex offenders in the city of Seattle, and 223 currently live in the East Precinct. Of those in the east, 36 are designated Level 3, which are considered the most likely to reoffend.

SPD has ceased using mail to notify residents of sex offenders who move into neighborhoods, and now suggest everyone use King County’s Offender Watch website, where you can search in your own area and set up email notifications to get notified when they move around.

Central District News has confirmed that Burger Central will occupy the space at 1101 23rd Avenue, the former home of Collins Gold Exchange.  Veronica De Saram, one of the contacts listed on the most recent DPD Permit Application, told us that they are hoping to open by May 1:

The name is Burger Central.  We would like to open by May 1st.   We are waiting for city inspections and natural gas to come in so it may be May 15Th 2010 . . . We want this to be a very comfortable place for every one in the neighborhood.  This is a very busy intersection and we need more places that will accommodate the Multi cultural environment we all enjoy in this neighborhood compared to most other neighborhoods.  We also own another business a few blocks away.  We have been at that location 15 years and we truly enjoy all our customers.  We are hoping that this business will also give us that same fulfillment and pleasure. Thank you very much for the inquiry and I hope to see you at Burger central.  Please make sure to introduce your self.  We are open to all comments from the neighborhood.

editor’s note: We’ve removed a reference to one of the business partner’s previous history, and a comment discussing it, pending further confirmation and investigation

The rain has returned to Seattle’s East Precinct. Here’s what’s still going on out in it:

Our schools here in the Central District have amazing, nationally renown music programs and draw in some incredibly talented individual musicians. Two of them have passed the first round of judging in KING FM’s Ten Grands contest, and are now competing against 18 other kids to win a $1,000 scholarship and a staring role in an May concert at Benaroya Hall.

First up is Pearl Lam, a 6th grader at Washington Middle School, who entered with this piano performance:

Next is Timothy Locke, a 17 year old student at Garfield High School, who also performs on the piano:

You can vote for either contestant (or any other artist) and help get them to the top ten of finalists on the King FM website. Pearl is Young Artist Entry #9, and Timothy is Young Artist Entry #11. Voting ends on April 2nd at 4pm.

CDNews reader KC forwarded us this email from a local list, originally from a resident near MLK & Cherry:

I just wanted to post this to warn others, but on March 16th a UPS package was taken from the front porch.

I wouldn’t have thought too much about it until today when another packace from amazon was delivered – and OPENED! 

These were only diaper wipes in large quantities, but someone came onto the porch today opened the amazon box – left my book, but took the wipes!

CDNews strongly recommends you send your valuable packages to your place of employment instead of home.

Despite our best efforts, none of our planned news stories have panned out so far today. Maybe everyone we’ve called is out enjoying the sun, and I hope you’re able to join them.

Here’s some photos from out walk today. It’s now tulip and magnolia season around the neighborhood:

Happy Humpday from the sweet streets of Seattle’s East Precinct:

Photography Exhibit Illuminates Aftermath of Rwanda Genocide

Seattle University is proud to present “Intended Consequences,” a collection of stunning images by internationally renowned photographer Jonathan Torgovnik addressing the aftermath of the 1994 Rwanda genocide, during which more than 100,000 women were victims of rape and sexual violence. Today, women who had children as a result are subject to isolation and discrimination. Torgovnik made repeated visits to Rwanda to meet with these women and their children to document their heart-wrenching and inspiring stories. The images that have come out of these interactions are at the center of the exhibit, “Intended Consequences: Rwandan Children Born of Rape,” beginning March 31 at Seattle University.

“Intended Consequences” features 25 portraits of the women and their children, with accompanying testimonies that detail the daily challenges they face and the internal conflict stemming from raising a child born from violence. The exhibit emphasizes the crucial role of education in Rwanda, and the work being done by Foundation Rwanda to provide education and support to the children and mothers.

The exhibit is open to the public and will be on display in the Hedreen Gallery at the Lee Center for the Arts March 31 to May 29. A portion of the photographs will also be in the Kinsey Gallery in the Admissions and Alumni Building during this time.

The opening reception for the exhibit is March 31, 5:00-8:00 p.m. at the Lee Center for the Arts. The Hedreen Gallery is open Wed.-Sat., 1:30-6:00 p.m. The Kinsey Gallery is open Mon.-Fri., 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

For more information about “Indended Consequences,” please contact Steve Galatro, Fine Arts Department at (206) 296-2244 or [email protected].

Walkers and joggers who dread crossing MLK only have a few more weeks before the situation gets ever so slightly better. We walked by MLK & Marion yesterday and found that the project there was well on its way to completion, adding a center pedestrian refuge and curb improvements on either side.

The remaining work includes pouring the concrete for the center island, finishing details on new curb ramps, and adding new paint and signage around the crosswalk. That work should be wrapped up within the next few weeks.

When finished, that intersection will be the only painted crosswalk along the 1,800 foot stretch of roadway between Cherry and Union streets.

SeattleCrime.com is reporting that police are trying to connect a suspect in a hit & run to a shooting from November of last year at 12th & Jefferson:

Seattle police are investigating a possible connection between a man arrested last year for a cross-town hit and run spree and an armed robbery in the Central District in which one man was wounded by gunfire.

According to a police search warrant affidavit released Monday, a 40-year-old man was walking near 12th Ave and E Jefferson St at about 11:30pm on November 30th when a group of three men—described as three black males in their late-teens to early-twenties, wearing black clothing—approached him and asked for a cigarette.

The 40-year-old man broke a cigarette in half and handed it to one of the men.

The group then surrounded the 40-year-old man, and one of the group members pulled out a handgun and told the man to hand over his cash. The 40-year-old man ran, then “heard one gunshot and felt pain in his forehead,” the affidavit says.

Jonah has many more details in the case – read the whole thing at SeattleCrime.com.