The East Precinct has put in a concerted effort to tamp down package theft around Capitol Hill and the Central District this holiday season including efforts at community education and outreach. But CHS has learned it is matching those efforts with special patrols designed to cut down on the irritating and costly crime.

The Seattle Police Department confirmed this week that officers are being assigned to package theft emphasis patrols on Capitol Hill and around the East Precinct. A department spokesperson tells CHS that the department is tracking reports of package theft and has officers “proactively focusing on those areas.”

Recent dispatches have included areas around St. Joe’s at 18th and Aloha, according to precinct radio reports.

In November, SPD met with the community to try to get more information out on how best to curb the thefts.

There were around 90 thefts not involving automobiles and another 600 residential burglaries reported across East Precinct in December 2016. We’ll check in with the numbers to see if this year’s patrols make a difference.