KANSAS COMPUTERS MISSING FROM AREA SCHOOLS Wellington Daily News - News

$9,000 in computers missing

Published: Monday, October 22, 2007 4:12 PM CDT

Nine laptop computers planned to be placed in area schools have been reported stolen from the Wellington Middle School.

The laptop computers �” valued at $9,000 �” were reported missing on Monday, Oct. 1 by tech support workers at the school, according to School Resource Officer John Defore.

Defore says he took the report at around 11 a.m., that morning after workers setting up a wireless network noticed some boxes were missing from a locked storage area. A rough count first revealed 10 computers missing, but one was found later in the school.

Defore says there were no pry marks on the door to the storage area and fingerprints have been lifted from the one found laptop.

The found computer is currently being held as evidence in the case, along with the box it came in.

Part of the 300 laptops approved at the September school board meeting, each of the computers are Windows XP powered with 1 gigabite of RAM memory, and a 1.8 megahertz processor.

USD 353 Technology Director Angie Ratcliff says although the school’s insurance will pay for the loss of the laptops, she’s deeply upset someone would steal not from the district �” but from the students.

“All it does is hurt kids. It absolutely takes the resources away from the kids,” said Ratcliff.

Replacement laptops have already been ordered and should arrive sometime this week, though Ratcliff says she still wants the originals found.

“We just want our computers back. When people steal like that, they are stealing from you, they are stealing from me, and they are stealing from themselves. Everyone who pays taxes is paying for it, including the person who took them,” said Ratcliff.

Though Ratcliff says she has no idea who would take the district’s newest pieces of technology, Defore is looking at suspects.

“I’m looking at a few people right now,” he said.