Editor's Note: We begin a monthly report on law enforcement activities in the North Highline area written by White Center store front Deputy Sheriff Steve Cox.

Vann Veth was shot and killed in his apartment at Park Lake Homes on the morning of March 11. About 20 minutes before the murder, shots were fired at the house at 10733 Myers Way. No one was hit at the Myers Way shooting. Both shootings are probably connected but we cannot confirm that at this point. We have not determined who the shooter is but we do not believe the shootings are random.

We caught a burglar who had just broken into the Grace Baptist Church at 10323 28th Ave. S.W.

White Center has had a rash of cash machine break-ins. At White Center Minimart, 1512 Southwest 98th, during the night the suspect got into the store, probably through an unlocked back door and took merchandise. At the Top Hat Minimart, 1st Avenue South and South 108th, at about 3:30 a.m. the suspect cut the alarm, cut through the siding and took some cash out the cash register.

A marijuana grow op and an AK 47 or similar weapon was found at the rental house at 10637 18 SW. The tenants were arrested. The owner of the house was notified and I believe the tenants have already moved out.

Deputy Maldonado tried to stop a stolen car in White Center. The driver took off, eventually stopped the car and fled on foot. He was caught a few minutes later and was booked for attempt to elude and possessing a stolen car.

A few days later, Deputy Noel found another occupied stolen car driving around White Center. He too tried to stop the car. This driver also took off resulting in a pursuit. Noel eventually got the car stopped and arrested the driver for attempt to elude and being in possession of the stolen car.

If all that wasn't enough for the month, Deputy Houck found yet another stolen car driving around the Center. When Houck tried to stop the car, this driver also took off resulting in a short pursuit. Houck got the car stopped but, once again the driver jumped out of the car and fled on foot. He was found hiding in some nearby bushes by the police helicopter and the police dog. He too was booked for attempt to elude and possessing a stolen car.

I am happy to report that no one got hurt during any of these incidents and it furthered our mission of cracking down on car thieves.

Our drug detectives arrested one man for making arrangements to sell crack in the Bartel's parking lot. A few days later the same detectives arrested another man for actually selling crack in the area of 16th - Roxbury. Both suspects are well known to the police and have been a problem for the community.

What we know about the residential burglaries that occur in White Center:

- We have about 10 of them each month.

- They usually occur during the day when many people are at work.

- In about 40 percent of them, the bad guy gets into the house via an unlocked door or unlocked window.

- About 20 percent of them are break-ins to a shed or garage.

- Most of the shed and garage burgs occur in the middle of the night when we are sleeping.

- With most of the shed and garage burgs, the shed or garage is not locked or the padlock is cut.

- With the sheds and garages, the bad guys are looking for tools and equipment they can pawn.

Prevention ideas:

- Lock your doors and windows when you leave the house, especially during the day.

- Lock your shed and garage with a lock that is difficult to cut such as a heavy duty padlock.

- Get an alarm. The alarm may not help us catch the bad guy but it will probably scare him away.

- Burglars don't like to be seen. Cut the trees and bushes in front of your house so the house can be seen from the street or so a bad guy can be seen prowling around your house.

- Contact a neighbor who is home during the day. Let them know you are gone during the day. Ask them to keep an eye on the house and call the police if they see a strange person on your property. I ask my neighbors to keep an eye on my place and I do the same for them.

- Do not keep valuables in the shed or garage if the shed or garage is easy to break into. Keep those items in the house. I don't keep anything valuable in my shed. I keep my tools and equipment in the house.

One of our goals for this year is to reduce the number of auto thefts and burglaries. One of the best ways to do that is through prevention. Be smart and do what you can to prevent being a victim of these crimes. If a bad guy wants to get into your house badly enough, he will probably be able to do so, but don't make it easy for him. Most of the time the bad guy will not screw around with a house that is difficult to get into. Also, be respectfully nosey. If you see someone in your neighborhood who looks suspicious, he probably is suspicious. Call the police and have us come out and see what the person is up to. He may be doing something legitimate, but he also may be up to something.

That's it for this month. Take time to be involved in your community, do your part to make the Center a better place to live and look out for your neighbor.

Steve Cox is the King County Sheriffs Department's White Center storefront deputy.