As kids get mugged at gunpoint in Ballard, Seattle police says it will add more officers ‘as staffing allows’
Following a string of student muggings near Ballard High School and Whitman Middle School, the Seattle Police Department said it will post more officers in the area, when staffing allows.
"These crimes against our youth in our communities are a high priority for the department. We do ask that you keep your safety a number one priority and be vigilant in identifying a potentially dangerous situation," the department said in a statement.
Investigators believe that four muggings since September are related. In each incident, four to six people wearing ski masks or hoodies drove up in a Kia or Hyundai and stole students' phones and other possessions. The suspects are believed to be teens. A gun has been reported at at least one of the muggings.
The Seattle Police Department said it plans to dispatch a mobile precinct to the area, along with more officers to deter such crimes, but only "when staffing allows."
The police department asked that any information about the muggings be reported to its violent crime tip line: 206-233-5000.
