Crime watch: vacant homes

By Diane Hettrick

Lake Forest Park police just sent a notice to their block watches, advising them of several burglaries last week targeting vacant homes.

In the Shoreline police blotter, there are often reports of burglaries to vacant homes. Sometimes the owner is on vacation. Sometimes the owner is sick and in a rehab facility. Often, it's a vacant home for sale.

These are perennial targets. Whether you are part of a formal block watch or not, keep an eye on houses you know are vacant and call 911 if you see anything out of the ordinary. Sometimes it is burglars, sometimes it is squatters. Sometimes it is the owner, checking their property. The police will be very nice to them and tell them how lucky they are to have a neighbor watching out for them.