With the arrest of six local students, police officials think they have put a stop to a number of teen-on-teen robberies that took place in greater West Seattle in recent weeks.

Four of the suspects are West Seattle High School students, and a fifth attends Cleveland High School, which is temporarily located on Delridge Way.

"Let's hope it 'breaks the back' of this nonsense," said Capt. Mike Fann, head of the Seattle Police Department's Southwest Precinct. Fann said all the suspects know each other and many of the victims know the suspects.

Officials noticed a spike in robberies beginning in December, when several teens were "shoe-jacked" for their expensive footwear while walking near Denny Middle School and Sealth High School. Two suspects were identified and arrested for three attacks and were in custody when the most recent rash of confrontations occurred as students walked home from Madison Middle School and West Seattle High School.

The robbers in the Admiral-area incidents weren't interested in shoes, but in the victims' iPod portable music devices, which are typically worth $200 to $400.

According to Southwest Precinct Lt. Steve Paulsen, the police worked with the high schools and Parent Teacher Student Association to put out warnings. Officials also provided information about the problem at several community meetings.

For a time, the attacks were sporadic, which, said Fann, "Made it hard to deploy the troops." But in time, both uniformed and plain-clothes officers were in place in the affected areas.

Around 4:15 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 17, three separate strong-arm robberies occurred within an hour and a half near West Seattle High School. Officers cornered eight potential suspects; five were positively identified by the victims. A sixth was turned over to police by his father later that day. The stolen property was also recovered.

Fann cites cooperation and coordination between various groups as being the key to breaking the case. Detective Nick Bauer from the South Precinct juvenile squad spent several weeks working with the schools and the victims and came into work on the evening of the arrests to follow through.

"He did a great job, and so did all of the emphasis patrols," said Fann. "Some officers shuttled victims and witnesses while others worked with the suspects. They made me proud."

Fann also appreciates the efforts of the principals and officials at West Seattle High School.

"Our results are a direct result of everyone's coordinated efforts," he said.

The robberies do not appear to be gang related, said Fann, who said that such incidents seem to be a new citywide fad, with each precinct having a few such cases.

Megan Sheppard can be reached at wseditor@robinsonnews.com