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Madison Valley business owners fed up with burglaries
Business owners say there has been a surge of burglaries in their neighborhood.
SEATTLE - A rash of break-ins at businesses in one Seattle neighborhood has owners rethinking their security systems.
At least a half dozen businesses in the Madison Valley neighborhood have been hit over the past month.
"A lot of my designs are made in tandem with the client," said Sally Brock, a jewelry designer and owner of the shop ‘Fancy’ in Seattle's Madison Valley neighborhood.
Brock is getting her spring line of gifts out for display for those looking for Valentine's Day gifts.
"This will be 21 years, but just one in Madison Valley," said Brock.
She moved her shop to its location on East Madison last year, hoping for a fresh start after operating downtown for over a decade.
"My shop was downtown on 2nd Ave for 20 years before this. After five rough years downtown, when I moved over here, I just wanted it to be very secure," she said.
To do that, she installed indoor security cameras and an accordion-style metal cage on the windows, that can be locked at night.
"Second layer of protection," she said. "I also have a very loud alarm."
It didn't take long for someone to test the security systems of several businesses in the area. Since the holidays, business owners in Madison Valley say they've been under attack.
"I think it started around Christmas, and it’s just been continuing," said Brock. "I went in the back door and I noticed the door handle was broken on the back."
The same was true of the lock on the front door. It was broken, along with the door handle.
"The whole door handle and the lock set were both missing, but the store hadn’t been entered, so I got really lucky," she said.
Fury Extraordinary Women's Consignment was hit on Christmas Eve, according to a shop statement online. Also, neighbors tell FOX 13 that the windows at Belle Epicurean were recently replaced after someone smashed them.
The Seattle Police crime stats dashboard shows that in 2022, the Madison Park area had 26 reported burglaries. In 2023, the number had nearly doubled to 44. Brock now plans on adding outdoor cameras to her security system. She says other businesses are considering doing the same.
"That’s all the talk on the block, is where are your outdoor cameras and where are they going to be pointed.
Brock says that she's received direct messages from four other businesses that have been broken into or vandalized in recent weeks.