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Thieves hit Banyule schools

09 Aug, 2011 12:00 AM

A SPATE of thefts from Banyule schools has racked up a hefty bill.

Since May, at least five schools in Banyule have been broken into and had computers stolen. Most of the break-ins targeted Apple laptop computers.

Last week, Rosanna Golf Links Primary School was broken into in the early hours of Tuesday.

Two desktops and 18 laptops, valued at $12,000, were stolen from a portable classroom at 4.40am – despite the classroom having an alarm.

Principal Janis Fischer said it was the first time the school had been broken into in 10 years.

"It certainly made us aware how vulnerable outside classrooms are," she said.

Four days earlier, Ivanhoe Girls' Grammar and Sherbourne Primary School in Briar Hill were also broken into.

The total value of the two thefts has been estimated at more than $28,000.

Earlier this month, Apollo Parkways Primary School was broken into for the third time in six weeks.

Banyule Crime Investigation Unit's detective senior constable Damien Mein said the break-ins were happening at night.

He said the thieves were targeting laptops because they were easy to carry and offload.

Police officers had visited the schools hit to advise them about how to improve their security, he said.