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Thieves take equipment from school

April 5, 2011

By RAYMOND L. SMITH - reporter (rsmith@tribtoday.com) , Tribune Chronicle | TribToday.com

BLOOMFIELD - Thieves got away with more than $13,700 worth of computers, cameras and other technological equipment from the Bloomfield Middle / High School building early Sunday morning.

The theft was discovered by home economics teacher Nancy Sampson, who went to the school Sunday to drop off groceries to be ready for her classes on Monday.

It comes just months after school officials began considering options to add a security system to the buildings but had not taken any action.

Burglars appeared to have entered the building by breaking into the secretary's office window, according to a Trumbull County Sheriff's Office report.

No arrests have been made and investigators still are developing leads, according to sheriff's Maj. Tom Stewart.

Principal Steve Kobus told sheriff's investigators there was a stick on the outside of the window, which is believed to have been used to break the lock to the secretary's office window.

Thieves took a computer monitor from the secretary's office and then went to the cafeteria, where they took an audio projector from its ceiling. They appeared to have broken out windows in each of the rooms they entered on the first and second floors of the building.

Superintendent Lew Strohm said the majority of the equipment stolen was taken from the school's junior and senior computer labs.

Stolen equipment included computers, cameras, a stereo and speakers, a 37-inch LCD television and more.

Strohm said the Bloomfield building was built in 1909, and most of the rooms have one-sided dead bolt locks on the doors, except for the treasurer's office and payroll office, which have double-sided dead bolt locks.

The break-in did not affect school on Monday.

''Our custodian staff was able to clean up before school opened,'' Strohm said.

Bloomfield Board of Education already was scheduled to hold a special meeting on Thursday.

''I expect the board to act on a recommendation to place a security system on this building, as well as one on the elementary school building,'' Strohm said.

The district had reviewed options to place a security system on its buildings in December. At the time, Howland Alarm gave it an estimate of placing motion detectors on the middle / high school building for $6,000 and motion detectors on the elementary school building for an additional $3,000.

Security cameras could be placed in and around the middle/high building for an additional $14,000. It would cost an additional $8,000 to place cameras in and around the elementary school building.

"I think it is likely the board will approve, at least, placing motion detectors in the buildings," Strohm said.