TEXAS COMPUTERS STOLEN FROM SCHOOLTimes Record News: Local NewsSome schools have seen more mischievous break-ins where there's not a lot of damage, Parker said. But on the high end, the district has lost high-tech and high-dollar items - especially computers and cameras.

Crime against our kids
Rash of school break-ins, vandalism has littlest victims

By Jessica LangdonTimes Record NewsJessica LangdonTimes Record News
February 29, 2004

The sight was enough to give Cunningham Elementary students, teachers and parents a huge sinking feeling - like going down a slide too fast and hitting the ground hard.

Students spent a year and a half raising nearly $30,000 to put in a big, bright, brand new playground. PTA President Tamra DuBose worked with more than a dozen people to spearhead the project. The dream finally came true when construction started around Thanksgiving.

DuBose was thrilled all three of her children would be able to enjoy it.

Then, things went downhill fast. Someone tried to melt a hole in the shiny new slide, parent Tamra DuBose said.

Crime has been on an upswing in Wichita Falls schools during the past few months. Thefts and break-ins tend to climb before and after Christmas, Chief Financial Officer Ken Parker said. But the cost soared to a higher-than-normal level this time around, he said.

Some schools have seen more mischievous break-ins where there's not a lot of damage, Parker said. But on the high end, the district has lost high-tech and high-dollar items - especially computers and cameras.

Most of the thefts happened after hours, when the schools were dark and locked up. Police reports showed in some cases, whoever snuck off with some schools' stash crawled in through a window. Teachers would sometimes find the evidence after a weekend.

School district officers and Wichita Falls police are investigating the crimes. Most administrators, principals, teachers and parents used the same word to describe the rash of break-ins and other crimes - "Frustrating."

It's frustrating on several levels.

First, any crime against children tends to hurt, they said. Along that line, educational tools are disappearing. And it ends up costing everyone, whether they have children in school or not.

A second-grade teacher walked into her classroom at West Foundation last month to start a busy week of lessons and learned a scary lesson herself.

Someone had broken in and stolen a computer.

Principal Carol English was surprised. This was the first break-in she could remember.

"I would hope people understand the equipment we use is for the education of our students," she said.

She wasn't alone. Several other schools found the same type of crime over the past couple of months.

Fain reported someone crept into a kindergarten building and carried out three computers in January.