LOS ANGELES HIGH SCHOOL COMPUTERS STOLENWildcat - University High School - ArticleLate-Night Invasion Devastates School

By José Dubón

Unidentified individuals broke into the Administration Building and stole 37 Apple iBook laptops from room 233 early Tuesday morning.
For the second time this school year, the Administration Building was infiltrated, and computers and computer equipment therein were stolen.

The burglars pried open the rear door of the Administration Building at approximately 3 a.m., when, officials suspect, they proceeded directly to room 233.

Investigators believe that the perpetrators had considerable knowledge about the campus and planned the theft preemptively, because they clearly knew where staff stores much of its computing equipment.

The individuals caused approximately $80,000 worth of damage and theft.

“When I found out at 6:30 in the morning when I came,” said Technology Coordinator Steven Bardfield, “it made the hairs on the back of my head stand up,”

“And it’s not because of the physical loss of the computers,” he added, “but because of all the hard work that went into maintaining and making sure that they work.” Bardfield has invested countless hours in maintaining and improving computer equipment throughout campus.

Apparently, the thieves tripped the school’s silent alarm, but police officers did not respond to the call.

“The police didn’t come because the alarm goes off all the time,” said Assistant Principal Ali Galedary. “The alarm works, but it has some bugs we have to work out.”

All of the laptops shared within the Administration Building were stored in room 233, and now, school faculty will have to double their classes’ use of the Mac Lab to accommodate for the loss of equipment.

Officials hope that the insurance of the laptops, purchased with Prop. AB 2882 funds in 2001, will cover a large number of the stolen computers.

“I feel violated,” said Principal Elois McGehee. “I’m upset that someone came into our school and took a vital part of our instructional program.”

Officials are preparing to escalate the intensity of burglary investigations.