A run of break-ins and targeted thefts has Ballard business owners on edge this month, staring at boarded-up windows, busted equipment and, in one case, a refrigeration unit stripped for copper. Shopkeepers and neighbors say the hits, which owners report started in January, are chewing into already thin margins and leaving many frustrated with what they see as slow follow-up from the city and police.
Roughly half a dozen neighborhood restaurants and cafes, including Copine, Seattle Biscuit Co., Biscuit and Bean, Cloudy Cafe and Salt & Sugar, have reported damage or thefts that range from stolen tills and laptops to the copper gutted refrigeration unit that Seattle Biscuit Co. says cost more than $25,000 to repair, as reported by My Ballard. Owners say even smaller losses pile up fast and can threaten a shop’s ability to keep the lights on.
Owners Say Police Response Lagging
Several owners told neighborhood reporters they have called repeatedly for help, only to see little on-the-ground police presence. “Police response — nonexistent,” Seattle Biscuit Co. chef Sam Thompson wrote in an email to the local site, according to My Ballard. Other operators say they sometimes skip filing reports altogether, either because the loss falls below their insurance deductible or because they expect a delayed response that will not change the outcome.
Police Data And Theft Trends
Neighborhood crime records show an unusually heavy run of property offenses in early 2026. KING 5 found Seattle Police Department reports listing more than 70 property-crime incidents in Ballard so far this year. The department has also been investigating high-value copper thefts at construction sites in the neighborhood that officers estimated at roughly $40,000, leading to the recovery of hundreds of pounds of wire during a Jan. 8 search, according to the Seattle Police Department’s blotter (SPD Blotter).
How Businesses Are Coping
In the meantime, owners say they are scrambling for stopgap fixes and long-term security. Some are putting in security film and temporary board-ups, launching GoFundMe campaigns and even hiring private security while they wait for more consistent help from the city.
The City of Seattle’s Back to Business program offers eligible small businesses reimbursements for storefront repairs and certain security upgrades, according to the City of Seattle. At the same time, some neighborhood groups have welcomed recent encampment clearings as a partial relief, while warning that any calm could be temporary, as reported by FOX 13 Seattle…