MAINE COMPUTERS STOLEN CLINTON Chief cites budget woes in school burglary


CLINTON -- Computers valued at $6,000 were stolen during a burglary over the weekend at Clinton Elementary School, Police Chief Charles Runnels said Tuesday.

Runnels said the school burglary is the latest in a number of crimes that have occurred since residents defeated a request for an increased police-department budget during the June town meeting. Runnels scaled back on coverage beginning July 1, and voters again rejected the budget request during a special town meeting last month.

"Since we've had to back off our 24-hour coverage on July 1, we've had a number of burglaries," Runnels said. "When they voted down the budget, they basically killed that kind of coverage."

On Nov. 4, voters will consider reverting to the previous police-department budget of $175,206.

Runnels said one of his officers checked the school and reported nothing unusual at 11 p.m. Saturday. At 4 p.m. Monday, he said, someone went into the school and reported the burglary.

The thief or thieves stole four laptop computers and one Macintosh desktop unit, complete with monitor, Runnels said. A window outside the school computer lab was forced open, he said.

Dean Baker, superintendent in School Administrative District 49, said the weekend burglary was the second at the school in the past month. In August, Baker said, someone broke an air conditioner loose from a window and stole a computer. "These computers are community property bought with taxpayer money, so they are a theft from everybody when they're taken," Baker said.

Baker said the laptops were on a cart, for classroom use. The school will make do with its what is has for now, he said.

"We're going to have to look seriously into a surveillance system," Baker said.

Runnels is asking anyone with helpful information to call 426-9192. A Waterville dispatcher will connect the caller to Clinton police, he said.

The identity of callers will be kept confidential, the chief said.

Larry Grard -- 861-9239

lgrard@centralmaine.com