OHIO COMPUTERS STOLEN Vandals target district buildings:

Vandals target district buildings
Copper pipes taken from board office; laptops stolen from elementary school during recent break-in.

By Everdeen Mason, Staff Writer
Updated 1:34 AM Monday, September 7, 2009

HAMILTON — The Hamilton City Schools District has been combatting vandalism and break-ins since the school year began.

“They’re having a lot of problems with closed schools,” said Hamilton police Officer Richard Burkhardt. “Three or four have been vandalized, people are breaking windows and stuff, it’s a real problem.”

Even the Board of Education on Dayton Street has been vandalized. Copper pipes were ripped off the building.

“It’s the drainage pipes,” said Joni Copas, Hamilton City Schools spokeswoman. “They took a section of it off the front wall of the building.”

Most recently, five juveniles broke into Hayes Elementary School on Aug. 28 and stole seven laptop computers, according to police.

“One of the parents of the children saw the computer and called the police department,” Burkhardt said.

The suspects have all been identified in the thefts.

Burkhardt said the police are keeping a close eye on the now-closed schools, as well as the Board of Education building.

“We’ve asked the police for help and they’re making extra rounds,” Copas said. “We also have security in all of the buildings; in the situation in Hayes, the alarm went off.”

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2192 or emason@coxohio.com.