CALIFORNIA SCHOOL CRIME EYED AS CAMPUS OFFICIALS REVIEW SECURITY LA Daily News - Santa Clarita: "School crime eyed
Campus officials review security
By Sue Doyle, Staff Writer


SANTA CLARITA - A string of burglaries and vandalism at some Newhall schools has pushed security to the district's forefront. "

After about $12,630 in losses and damage in the Newhall School District, the school board and administrators are considering security measures, ranging from new alarm systems to beefed-up patrol services, to prevent further crimes.

Laptop computers and other electronics have been the main targets stolen during these burglaries in which Stevenson Ranch Elementary School was most recently struck. School officials noticed last Friday that equipment had been stolen.

It was the second burglary at the neighborhood school in less than a week.

Pornographic images were left on one classroom computer, and two laptops were taken during a break-in that happened between Feb. 11 and Feb. 13. District officials said that in order to get the porn images on the school's computer, an offender relatively sophisticated in user techniques had to circumvent the school's filters and access another one.

These burglaries followed a rash of other break-ins during the fall at Old Orchard, Pico Canyon, Valencia Valley and Meadows elementary schools.

Although vandalism and break-ins previously have occurred at Newhall schools, as elsewhere in Los Angeles County, the concentration of these crimes has alarmed school officials.

And at the schools, teachers and principals are left with the job of explaining to students why boards now cover broken windows, desks have been tossed about and some classroom computers are gone.

"They feel violated. It's almost as if someone broke into their own house. So it's very personal, certainly, for the staff and students up there (at Stevenson Ranch Elementary School) and at other schools where this took place," said Mike Clear, the district's assistant superintendent of business services.

Computers have been theft targets for some years because newer ones can be easily sold, said Sgt. James Anderson of the burglary and theft team for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

Anderson said burglars have targeted computers from various businesses in Santa Clarita, especially computers visible from outside. Vandals break windows and easily grab the computers without having to search.

Business computers also are stolen to gain personal information about clients for identity-theft purposes sometimes, Anderson said.

The school board president - Mike Shapiro, who's also a county sheriff's deputy - said there are pros and cons with every security system, and that officials will have to see what best fits the local schools.

Sometimes neighbors living near the schools are the best "security systems" because they hear glass shattering or see something unusual on campuses and call police.

That was the case last year at Pico Canyon School when some teens smashed in windows and doors.

"They got caught because neighbors heard," Shapiro said. "Because it was loud."

Sue Doyle, (661) 257-5254
sue.doyle@dailynews.com