Be on the Alert!  Suspicious vehicles have been seen canvassing the neighborhood!

Suspicious vehicle on Clark Ave N

A neighbor on Clark Ave N reported that she observed a suspicious vehicle driving up and down Clark Ave at 1:30 am last week with its lights off and two people inside.

Vehicle looked to be a old white bronco or bigger suv. Stopped on Clark and looked to be scoping out houses and then drove up and down slowly with lights off at early morning hours.

Suspicious White Van at Corner of E Smith St & Alvord – Potential Robbery Foiled

A neighbor on E Smith Street reported that he foiled a potential robbery at his home early in the evening of July 23, @ 4:30pm.

The neighbor reported that he was returning home from a business meeting to find a white utility van (- livery) w/ trailer attached (holding many items) at the end of his driveway.

The van contained 2 men (maybe more in the back). The driver (mid forties, common habitus, handsome, blue eyes w/ dark brown salt and pepper hair) spoke to the neighbor when he inquisited. The passenger, larger habitus, looked out of the other window, was silent, wore dark sunglasses).

The driver claimed that they were checking out the neighborhood for a recycle job, but they had been in the  carport. The homeowner demanded that they leave immediately, but was not able to get a license plate number. Police were called. They believe that the two men were possibly canvasing the area.

Remember to report any suspicious activity by calling 9-1-1!

At our last council meeting in June 2010, we had Sarah Woods from the Kent Police Department speak with our group about public safety and graffi issues in our neighborhood. One of the neighbors asked about some unusual activity on Temperance. Sarah did some research and Officer Batemen, one of our Neighborhood Response Team members gave us the following info:

“The house in question was 922 E. Temperance. Riener went there looking for a reckless driver, but ended up determining that there was a marijuana grow operation inside. So, he wrote a warrant and Kent PD Officers (not KCSO, not SWAT, just Kent PD) served the warrant at the house. No one was inside, but it was confirmed that the house had been turned into a large grow operation; over 1000 plants were removed. SIU is actively working the case to see if they can file charges on the property owner.”

If you see any unusual activity in the neighborhood, call 9-1-1 to report it!

Friends and neighbors mingle on at the Kent Historical Museum enjoying food and friendship.

Join us on Tuesday, August 3rd, at 6pm at the Kent Historical Museum for an evening of fun, friends, and food. Meet your neighbors and learn about what we’re doing to prevent crime and improve our neighborhood! National Night Out is a special event organized by your Neighborhood Blockwatch and the Kent Mill Creek Neighborhood Council.

Please bring a dish to pass! Neighbors with last names ending in A-L are asked to bring some kind of side dish or appetizer, and last names ending in M-Z will be asked to bring a dessert. Please bring a lawn/folding chair!

We will also have some great giveaways and raffle prizes! Raffle tickets are $1 and all proceeds will go to support our Neighborhood Projects and events like our Annual Plant Exchange, Historic Plaque Program, and other community-building and enhancing activities. We have a lot of great raffle items donated this year from our local Kent businesses.

Raffle items include:

• Kent Station Gift Card
• Kent Downtown Partnership Gift Certificate – good at participating Kent merchants
• Bella home & garden – Garden Basket
• Marti Reeder, Realtor – Gift Basket
• Marie Haggin Accessories – Necklace Gift Set
• Intimate Pilates – Pilates Private Instruction Session
• Lemon Drop Skin Care & Massage – 1 hour massage
• In Balance Bodyworks – Massage gift certificate and more
• Millennia Renovations – Gift Basket
• City Frame – TBA
• The Morelli Team | John L Scott – set of kitchen knives with a collapsable picnic cooler

Questions? Call Sharon Bersaas at 253-852-4984 or NgocDzung Smith at 253-373-0500