Capitol Hill businesses on edge with 11 break-ins reported in just one week

SEATTLE — A rash of destructive burglaries in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood has several businesses fed up.

The Seattle Police Department’s Crime Dashboard, as of Dec. 4, shows 11 reports of break-ins and burglaries on Capitol Hill over a seven-day period, and 30 reports for the entire East Precinct that also includes Central Area, First Hill, Judkins Park, Madison Park, Montlake, and the upper Pike/Pine neighborhood.

Some of the crimes happened earlier, but they are only now being reported. Many workers in the neighborhood did not want to talk on camera but told KOMO News they feel frustrated and, at times, helpless.

Security footage captures a burglar making a beeline for the Ox Burger restaurant’s cash drawer, getting in and out of the busted front door in seconds. The popular restaurant off Madison and 16th Avenue is using insurance to pay for a new entrance. A worker told KOMO News they do plan to use a city grant to upgrade security, and what happened is not surprising to some neighbors.

“It’s obviously frustrating to them. They have to clean it up, and it creates a situation on their hands,” Noah Boggess said.

It’s one example in a string of reported incidents. Taped to the front door of Cone and Steiner General Store off 19th and Mercer is a plea to ward off potential burglars. The sign reads “ATM has been emptied, cameras have been updated, pretty please don’t rob us.”

“When I first went in there, it made me chuckle, but even more, obviously, it just made me feel bad that something happened,” Boggess added.

Customer Eric Miyake said the same message led him to support the business.

“Are you concerned about property crime in the area?” KOMO’s Jackie Kent asked.

“I am,” Miyake responded. “This is a great area, and I don’t want to see it vandalized like that.”

A half mile away in the 500 block of Broadway East, La Cocina has boarded up a window and set up chicken wire for added security. The general manager, off camera, said two people broke in on Nov. 23 using rocks and restaurant tables, and got away with arms full of liquor bottles. He’s getting $800 from the city through the Storefront Repair Fund, he said, with hopes to avoid becoming a repeat target.

For Seattle businesses to qualify for the grants, the damage had to have happened after July 2024, and the grants do not cover graffiti or lost or stolen property. The Storefront Repair Fund covers costs for up to three incidents per business for things like doors, locks, and broken or etched windows.

KOMO News asked the Office of Economic Development how many businesses have taken advantage of those grants in 2025 and which neighborhoods needed them the most. The office said it expects to have those answers in the coming days. SPD’s general investigation unit is looking into these reported burglaries and break-ins.

The Greater Seattle Business Association in an email to KOMO News wrote these crimes the past few weeks are concerning, but the group reports the overall number of break-ins and burglaries on Capitol Hill have decreased when compared to the last two years. They’re working with the city to get business repair grants and assess crime prevention through environmental design to help mitigate burglaries.

“We are continuing to build and maintain our partnerships with various city departments and the new East Precinct leadership to serve our community.,” GSBA Spokesperson Jen Carl wrote. “We look forward to working with the new mayor Katie Wilson and her staff, along with the new Position 9 councilmember Dionne Foster, to continue our public safety efforts.”