INDIANA THREE STOLEN COMPUTERS RECOVERED - OTHERS STILL MISSING nwi.com :: news:

Three laptops stolen from D.148 office recovered
Friday, April 27, 2007 10:15 AM CDT

BY JOAN CARREON
Times Correspondent

RIVERDALE | Police recovered last week three laptop computers taken from the Dolton Elementary District 148 office earlier this month.

But an investigation into the apparent theft of nine other laptop computers, and the theft

"We have information that we're following up on," he said.

of four safes from District 148 schools, is ongoing, Riverdale Police Detective Rocky Graziano said.The thefts occurred while schools and the district office were closed during spring break, District 148 Superintendent Ruby Roberson said Wednesday. Riverdale and Dolton police are investigating the thefts, which could have occurred sometime during the evening hours of April 5, she said.

Dolton spokesman Sean Howard did not return calls Thursday.

Individuals who purchased the laptops may have learned they were stolen and turned them into the police department, Graziano said.

Roberson called the thefts disappointing and devastating.

"The reality is children have been stolen from. When you steal from a school, you're stealing from children," she said. "Theft, in general, is such a violation."

The laptops were taken from a locked cabinet in a locked storage room at the district office in Riverdale, Roberson said. The computers were new -- and several used just once -- and were for professional development, she said.

It appears someone used a key and an access code to disarm the alarm system to gain access to the locked district office and storage room, and to the four schools and principals' offices where the safes were kept, Roberson said. Most of the safes were empty at the time of the theft and one safe contained less than $400, she said.

The safes were taken from Washington and Park schools in Riverdale and from Harriet Tubman and Lincoln schools in Dolton, Roberson said. All of the schools and principals' offices were secured at the time, she said.

She said district administrators and custodians have access codes. She said some locks and codes will be changed and the district also will limit access to some areas.