SOUTH AFRICA COMPUTER PARTS STOLEN http://www.capeargus.co.za/?fSectionId=3571&fArticleId=nw20090911140659596C780176

Secretary held for computer theft

11 September 2009, 14:18

A 25-year-old man has been arrested in Khayelitsha for allegedly stealing computer parts from a school, Western Cape police said on Friday.

Captain Anneke van der Vyver said the man worked as a secretary at the Isikelokelo Primary School in Site C.

The school principal noticed in April that the school's computers had slowed down, investigated and found that equipment was missing.

When an employee failed to report for work after the principal's discovery, the school opened a theft case against him.

Police arrested the man at his house in Khayelitsha on Thursday, said Van der Vyver.

They found a black rubbish bin in the house containing several computer parts and two complete computers. Some of the parts were found to have been stolen in Namibia, she said.

He appeared to have stolen computer parts and replaced them with older, slower parts. - Sapa

FLORIDA COMPUTERS STOLEN http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/lauderdale-lakes/sfl-boyd-anderson-theft-b091109,0,5946587.story

15 laptop computers stolen from Boyd Anderson High

LAUDERDALE LAKES - The Broward Sheriff's Office is investigating the theft of 15 laptops, whose total value is estimated at $26,000, from Boyd Anderson High School in Lauderdale Lakes.

The burglary occurred sometime between 4 p.m. Friday and 7 a.m. Tuesday, when one or more thieves pried open an aluminum panel on a window and entered through a garage at the rear of the school, the Sheriff's Office said.

The laptops each cost $1,738. That is $26,070 for all 15 laptops.

NORTH CAROLINA COMPUTER STOLEN http://www.reflector.com/incoming/more-than-1800-worth-of-power-tools-reported-stolen-from-construction-site-825532.html

Computers, cash taken

A computer, cash and stamps were reported stolen from the commercial offices of a local manufacturer, according to a Pitt County Sheriff's Office report.

The incident happened some time between Saturday and Tuesday at the offices of ASMO and NWB USA Inc., 1427 Sheppard Mill Road.

The sheriff's office report stated someone used force to get into the building and took a computer valued at $1,500, $200 in cash, a $10 money bag and $100 in stamps.

BRITISH COLUMBIA COMPUTERS STOLEN http://www.energeticcity.ca/fortstjohn/news/09/10/09/laptops-stolen-charlie-lake-school

Laptops stolen from Charlie Lake school

Thursday, September 10, 2009

The Fort St. John RCMP are reporting the theft of laptop computers from an elementary school.

When staff at the Charlie Lake school returned to work on Wednesday Sept. 2nd, they completed an inventory, and discovered 26 white MacBook laptops had been taken from a classroom.

Police believe the machines were stolen during a break-in at the school on August 18th, at around 11:30 p.m.

The laptops were all engraved on the bottom, with the identity numbers OPI - 812 - 266.

No student data were stored on the computers, but naturally the school district is eager to get them back.

Anyone with information on the theft is encouraged to call the RCMP detachment, at 250-787-8140, or crimestoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

HAWAII COMPUTERS STOLEN http://kgmb9.com/main/content/view/20959/40/

SEE VIDEO...........

25 Valuable Ukulele Stolen from School

The sound of students strumming ukulele can still be heard at Hale Kula Elementary School in Wahiawa, but far fewer kids can play now that burglars stole 25 instruments.

"I just wanted to cry when I heard the ukuleles were taken. They're very expensive, especially Kamaka's and to replace them, I just can't imagine being able to replace them all," said Laura Nakasone. "I can’t imagine what kind of people these are to take from children."

Daylie Smith is a fourth grader at the school. She can't play a sad song so instead she's hoping the thieves listen to her letter.

"Dear Perpetrator of Hale Kula, You came to our class and actually robbed us of education. Now we don't have a projector which we use everyday for our education. You have also stolen our ukuleles which we now can't learn how to play," Smith read from her letter.

Thieves left the desktop computers behind but they stole laptops and swiped flat screens televisions right off the wall as well as other high tech teaching tools, but that's not all.

"From a kindergarten classroom they stole a bag of pennies that they were collecting for Pennies for Patients. Obviously you have all these kindergartners who are bringing in their pennies and that's heartbreaking for them and I think they feel very violated," said Agnes Leinau, Hale Kula Vice Principal.

Hale Kula is a public school but it's within Schofield Barracks and just to get to the campus you have to show identification, vehicle registration and insurance at the military checkpoint. Still this is the second break-in at the school in the last two months.

"I don't know if I'm surprised, I've very, very disappointed obviously," said Leinau. "It's just the world we're living in unfortunately."

Maintenance has a handle on the situation and the locks have been changed. But the feeling something is missing will last awhile unless someone spots their stuff. The head of the ukulele is labeled Hale Kula and inside there's a Kamaka sticker that has the school's stamp.

If you see one you're asked to call police or the crooks could have a heart and listen to a nine year old.

"We would really appreciate it if you could bring the things you took back to us. It makes us very sad and angry because of what you took. Sincerely Daylie," said Smith as she continued reading from her letter.

Administrators would like to install security cameras but in this economy that's not going to happen. They did ask military police to patrol more often.

The army is working with Honolulu Police going over lists of people who entered over the weekend.

Written by Tim Sakahara - tsakahara@kgmb9.com

September 09, 2009 05:55 PM

CALIFORNIA (UPDATE) STOLEN COMPUTERS RETURNED TO SCHOOL LAPD recovers 25 of 61 stolen laptops for Van Nuys school - LA Daily News:

LAPD recovers 25 of 61 stolen laptops for Van Nuys school

If ever a school went from despondency to elation, it's St. Elisabeth Catholic School in Van Nuys.

On Wednesday, before dozens of clapping, cheering students and teachers, LAPD burglary detectives returned 25 of the 61 laptop computers stolen from the campus last month.

The rest are probably lost forever, smuggled across the Mexican border and sold, said Detective Steven Krauss of the Van Nuys Division.

But the school has more than made up for the loss - thanks to the community and local companies like Southern California Edison, which donated 60 refurbished laptops.

"From a man off the street who walked in and said he wanted us to have a new laptop he had just bought to a major donation from Rick Caruso (developer and former Police Commission president), it's the happiest possible ending to this story," Principal Barbara Barreda said Wednesday.

As I wrote in my Aug. 27 column, this isn't a well-to-do school. Almost 65 percent of the 240 students qualify for free lunches because their parents are living at or below the poverty level.

They are the sons and daughters of gardeners, janitors, factory workers and street vendors. It took months of rummage sales, pancake breakfasts and carne asada lunches for parents to raise the $467 cost of each laptop.

When thieves struck just before the start of school, they deprived the students of the 21st century education these computers were going to offer.

"These kids are without the resources or benefits most kids have, and the computers were going to give them great opportunities and a chance to fulfill their dreams," Caruso said.

Between the 25 computers detectives recovered and private donations, all students from grades 3 through 8 will now get laptops they will take with them when they move on to the next level.

None of the burglary detectives can remember getting that kind of cheering, clapping reception when returning stolen property.

"It makes you feel pretty good about the job you're doing," Detective Krauss said.

These detectives should feel better than pretty good. They did some great police work to get those computers back.

They tracked one of the laptops to a Whittier resident, who had bought it without knowing it was stolen.

From there, they got search warrants for a East Hollywood computer store where three more of the stolen computers were found through serial numbers. The owner was arrested on suspicion of receiving stolen property.

They then uncovered a major fencing operation, and recovered 22 more of the stolen laptops along with other stolen electronics in Tijuana and the Otai Mesa border crossing.

And they're not done.

"We're still looking for the thieves who stole the laptops from the school," said Detective Mike O'Connor.

As the computers were wheeled onto the school grounds in a little red wagon Wednesday, surprised students began to cheer.

"We didn't think we'd ever get them back," said one student, Tatiana Claycamp.

Thanks to some good police work and dozens of donors who care about your education, you did, kids.

Dennis McCarthy's column appears Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday.

FLORIDA COMPUTERS STOLEN Police Beat: Sept. 9, 2009 » Naples Daily News:


Grand theft

■ Two computers valued at more than $300 were reported stolen Tuesday from the 18000 block of Matanzas Road in Fort Myers.

■ A laptop computer valued at less than $1,000 was reported stolen Tuesday from the 8400 block of Robin Road in Fort Myers.

OREGON COMPUTERS STOLEN Three lose electronics in Ashland thefts | MailTribune.com:


Three lose electronics in Ashland thefts

September 09, 2009

A thief broke into at least three offices on Ashland's A Street, including a nonprofit that helps disabled people, and stole thousands of dollars of electronic equipment over the weekend.

An unidentified man pulled out an air conditioning unit set in a window at the Disabled United in Direct Empowerment office at 256 A St. at about 2 a.m. on Sunday, security videos show, said Victoria Law, the owner of the building.

The man stole about $5,000 worth of electronic equipment — including a laptop computer, two video cameras and a projector — which the nonprofit used to make videos to advocate for legislation that aids disabled people.

"We're devastated and we're operating on a shoestring as it is," said Corrine Vieville, executive director of DUDE.

A thief also broke into at least two other businesses in the complex — the Ashland Historic Railroad Museum and a media production office — and took computers, Law said.

Police are investigating four reports of burglaries and one of vandalism that occurred in the 200 block of A Street on Sunday. More information was not immediately available.

UK COMPUTERS STOLEN Computers stolen - Epworth Bells:

Computers stolen


Published Date: 10 September 2009

COMPUTERS were stolen during a Westwoodside burglary last week.
Police were called in connection with an incident at Cove Farm Quarry on Cove Road between 2.30pm on Friday August 28 and 10am on Monday August 31.

Thieves approached a building used by SIBELCO UK and stole two black coloured Dell desktop computers from inside.

They then left the premises in an unknown direction. It is not known if a vehicle was used by the thieves.

Anyone who may know the whereabouts of the computers or has information about the incident should contact Humberside Police on 0845 60 60 222 quoting BF/1700807/2009.

NEW JERSEY (UPDATE) COMPUTERS STOLEN Two Bayonne High School students accused of stealing Washington Community School computers - NJ.com:

Two Bayonne High School students accused of stealing Washington Community School computers
by CHARLES HACK/THE JERSEY JOURNAL
Wednesday September 09, 2009, 3:31 PM

Two Bayonne High School students stole 15 laptops and computer equipment from Washington Community School Monday night, Bayonne police said.

The two 16-year-olds were arrested Tuesday night and charged with burglary, theft, criminal mischief and receiving stolen property. A third suspect, a 15-year-old, has been questioned, but not charged, police said.

In all, the police recovered the laptops and equipment, as well as other electronic devices that they say is worth $27,400.

The school employee called police after arriving at the school at 191 Avenue B at 5:30 a.m. Tuesday and discovered signs of a break-in -- a portion of a chain link fence was cut, an office door had pry marks to the door frame and a first-floor window had been broken.

The employee said she had she had last checked the school when locking up at 5:30 p.m. the previous day, reports said.

On the third floor police found a classroom where the door had been forced open and a lock a large cabinet metal cabinet had been broken, police said. Nothing was taken from that cabinet, but 15 Mac Books, valued at $750, and computer equipment had been swiped from a smaller locked cabinet. The two boys were released to the custody of their parents, reports said.

Tuesday night at 5:48 p.m. cops received a tip and found two two teens in a park at Kennedy Boulevard and 48th Street carrying oversized bookbags, police said. As the officers approached, the two teens tried to ditch the bags.

When asked why they dropped bags, the teens told cops there was stolen property in the bags and they were told to bring the bags to park. Inside the bags cops found eight laptop computers with Washington School labels and matching serial numbers. The bag also contained power cords, computer mouse and keyboard.

Later Tuesday police went to the 15-year-old's home and found the seven other missing laptops, 13 network processors, four keyboards and seven two-way radios with charging bases.

UK COMPUTERS STOLEN Burglar stole laptops from school - Mansfield Chad: Tuesday, 8th September 2009

Burglar stole laptops from school

Published Date:
07 September 2009

By our court reporter

A PLEASLEY burglar who stole four computers from a school and tried to break into a garden shed could be facing jail.

Chesterfield magistrates were told that Paul Davies' step-children attended Anthony Bek School at New Houghton and he had talked to the headteacher about the arrival of new laptops.

He broke into the premises overnight on 9th July using a brick wrapped in a towel and took four laptops worth £1,120 – but he left the towel at the scene and his DNA was found on it.

Prosecutor Becky Mahon said Davies was also caught on security film as he tried to force the padlock off a garden shed on Chesterfield Road North, Pleasley, at 4.30am on 24th July.

Then, on 24th August, he smashed four windows at an address in New Houghton from which he faced eviction.

"Police found him sitting on a mattress below one of the windows he had smashed," said Miss Mahon.

Davies (34), of Deansgate, admitted burglary, attempted burglary and damaging property. He had 77 previous convictions for dishonesty.

He will be sentenced at Mansfield Magistrates' Court on 28th September, when he faces other proceedings. He was granted bail subject to a 9pm-7am curfew.

In mitigation, Phil Bloore said: "He committed these offences during an extremely difficult patch with his partner, when he simply lost his head."

The full article contains 231 words and appears in n/a newspaper.

Page 1 of 1

• Last Updated: 07 September 2009 4:50 PM
• Source: n/a
• Location: Mansfield

FLORIDA COMPUTERS STOLEN Police reports from local municipalities - Northeast Miami-Dade - MiamiHerald.com

• MIAMI SHORES

Thieves stole 12 laptop computers set up to be used for registration in the gym at Barry University, 11300 NE Second Ave., between 11 p.m. Aug. 20 and

7:15 a.m. Aug. 21. The computers were valued at $18,000.

Police reports from local municipalities - Northeast Miami-Dade - MiamiHerald.com

FLORIDA COMPUTERS STOLEN Police reports from local municipalities - Northeast Miami-Dade - MiamiHerald.com:

• MIAMI SHORES

Thieves stole 12 laptop computers set up to be used for registration in the gym at Barry University, 11300 NE Second Ave., between 11 p.m. Aug. 20 and

7:15 a.m. Aug. 21. The computers were valued at $18,000.

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.

NORTH DAKOTA COMPUTERS STOLEN Computers stolen at GF business | Grand Forks Herald | Grand Forks, North Dakota:

Published September 08 2009

Computers stolen at GF business

Grand Forks Police are investigating a burglary Tuesday morning at Yellow Roadway, 2600 N. 44th St.

By: Herald Staff Report, Grand Forks Herald

Grand Forks Police are investigating a burglary Tuesday morning at Yellow Roadway, 2600 N. 44th St.

Officers responded to a dispatch at 5:18 a.m. An employee of the business said he noticed some pry marks on one of the doors and a padlock broken off. Seven Dell laptop computers were taken, police said.

Anyone with information should call (701) 787-8000.

KANSAS COMPUTER STOLEN KSALLink.com:

Computer and Computer Games Stolen
Sun 04:24 PM 09/06/2009

Todd Pittenger

A burglar hits a Salina home and comes away with electronics.

Police say that sometime between 9:00 in the morning and noon on Friday burglars broke into a home at 638 North 10th Street. Entry was gained by breaking a door window.

Items taken include a computer system, and two video game systems and 21 games.

Total loss and damage is estimated at nearly $1,700.

© KSAL News

INDIA COMPUTER STOLEN Computer stolen from Rashtrapati Bhawan:

Computer stolen from Rashtrapati Bhawan
Press Trust of India, Sunday September 6, 2009, New Delhi

The office of President Pratibha Patil's Officer on Special Duty was burgled in the high-security Rashtrapati Bhavan complex. The office of Wing Commander Vikram Dutta, which is located in the health club of the Presidential Estate, was burgled on Wednesday and the thieves walked away with his computer, police officials said. While a case was registered on September 4, police officials believed that the job was that of an insider who has also walked away with six dumbbells from the health club. Tasmim Ahmed, caretaker of the health centre, had given the office keys to a CPWD employee who had then returned it to him after clearing the rain water accumulated inside the centre on Wednesday night, they said. But when Ahmed came on duty the next day he found the doors of the health centre open and some items missing from the Wing Commander's room, police said. "We have registered the case and investigating the matter. It seems to be an insider's job. Authorities need to fix the responsibility," a senior police official said. Security personnel posted at the health centre were being questioned by the police, he said.

Comments Post your comments Post Your Comments Fields marked with * are mandatory *Name: E-mail: *Comments: Limit 4000 characters - 4000 characters remaining *Secure Code: Problem viewing this image. Click to refresh Buzz up! Comments: Read | Post Tags: Rashtrapati Bhawan Comments Posted by Srinivas on Sep 06, 2009

NEW YORK COMPUTERS STOLEN Stolen computer equipment leads to charges against 2 | recordonline.com:

Stolen computer equipment leads to charges against 2

Posted: September 08, 2009 - 2:00 AM

MONTICELLO — Police arrested two people Sunday for allegedly stealing computer equipment from a nearby business.

A Monticello police officer spotted Orlando Maldonado, 25, and a 14-year-old male carrying computer equipment at about 4:55 a.m. When the two saw the officer, they dropped the equipment and fled, police said.

The officer chased Maldonado and arrested him. The juvenile was later arrested by a Sullivan County sheriff's deputy. Police said they burglarized Smalls Plumbing in Monticello.

Both were charged with third-degree burglary, a felony, and fifth-degree criminal possession of stolen property, resisting arrest and possession of burglar's tools, misdemeanors.

Maldonado was additionally charged as a fugitive from the State of Florida and accused of endangering the welfare of a child. He is also wanted by Orange County on a burglary warrant from 2008.

Alyssa Sunkin

CALIFORNIA COMPUTERS STOLEN Universities Need to Learn About Encryption | Alertsec Xpress Blog:

Universities Need to Learn About Encryption
September 5th, 2009 by David Discuss this article »

Universities have unique challenges when it comes to security – both physical and digital security. A university (or college, or community college, secondary school etc.) has almost every disadvantage when it comes to security. As we’ve discussed, while you might think that Data Loss is the Other guy’s problem – that is not the case if you are at a University.

In the physical world transient populations make crime easy because a criminal won’t stand out in the crowd. Universities are nothing if not transient in nature. Likewise, facilities open at all hours make crime easy. From dorms, to study halls to libraries – student life is a 24 by 7 event making it hard to control access.

In the digital world universities fare no better. Standard devices make security easier – not possible in a world with thousands of instructors and students. Likewise, the very nature of education requires that information be made available as often and as easily as possible.

So it comes as no surprise that today we’ll look at the California State University in Los Angeles, California in the United States which is our latest victim to computer theft. A total of 14 computers were stolen, including two desktops. If disk drive encryption had been in use, than the University would not have been required to report the theft.

The theft itself was pretty easy to perpetrate. The door to the room containing the computers had a small glass window. From the video, the window looks to be about the size of an adult’s head and situated at head level. The thief smashed through window, reached through, and unlocked the door. This event affected the more than 600 students that were enrolled into the MORE–Minority Opportunities in Research–program, as well as faculty members. Social Security numbers and addresses were part of the sensitive information saved on these computers.

Obviously, the University did not feature a high-level of physical security. However, even if your physical security is not up to speed, you can still protect the contents of your computers with the best digital security available: encryption software. In the case of whole disk encryption, every single bit and byte of the computer’s hard disk is encrypted. Only by providing the username and password will the computer even begin to boot up. This is quite different from the commonly used Windows username and password prompt, which loads up after the computer has booted up and which can be exploited easily to bypass the password prompt.

In the 1980s, at the onset of widespread computer technology, I worked my way through college as a campus security guard and got involved in helping to troubleshoot some early hacking attempts. But back thencomputers were heavy and had to be directly wired to the mainframe – so we had the advantage in tracking down the perpetrators. Today – with wireless and mobile computing the advantage goes to the thief – unless universities start to learn to use modern security tools like Alertsec’s disk drive encryption.

COLORADO COMPUTER STOLEN Springs Officer Run Over During Disturbance - Denver News Story - KMGH Denver:

Springs Officer Run Over During Disturbance
Police Say 5 Arrested
Posted by: Thomas Hendrick, News Editor

POSTED: 10:13 am MDT September 6, 2009
UPDATED: 11:19 am MDT September 6, 2009

DENVER -- Five people were arrested and four people, including a police officer, were injured during a large disturbance in Colorado Springs early Sunday morning.

KRDO reported neighbors said as many as 50 people were involved in the disturbance reportedly over an alleged stolen computer.

Police from three different substations were called to a cul-de-sac on Powder Keg Place around 2 a.m. and found a large crowd involved in "an active disturbance."

As soon as police arrived, the crowd began to leave in a hurry. Police said one car intentionally swerved and ran over an officer's foot, also injuring his hand. He was treated at a local hospital.

Two other people were taken to the hospital, but police did not give details about their injuries.

Five people were arrested on charges of assault, drug possession and for outstanding warrants, police said. Three vehicles were impounded.

No names have been released.

Investigators are still determining how many people were involved in the disturbance and deciding if further arrests are necessary.

K-9 units and the police helicopter were called to help break up the disturbance.

FLORIDA COMPUTER MISSING Hospital clarifies what is on missing computer | pnj.com | Pensacola News Journal:

Hospital clarifies what is on missing computer

Pensacola Naval Hospital officials on Friday clarified details about what patient information was stored on a laptop computer lost by the hospital pharmacy.

Earlier this week, hospital officials announced they were unable to locate the computer, which contained personal information on 38,000 pharmacy patients.

The hospital is sending letters to affected patients, informing them that their personal information may have been compromised and advising them to monitor their bank and credit card accounts for signs of suspicious activity.

Hospital spokesman Rod Duren said Friday the laptop contained:

n The names, dates of birth and Social Security numbers of active-duty military members and retirees who used the pharmacy in the last year.

n The names and dates of birth of military spouses and dependents who used the pharmacy during the same time period.

No patient medical records or disability ratings were stored on the laptop, Duren said. A notice posted on the hospital's Web site earlier this week gave inaccurate information about the contents of the database.

Navy Capt. Maureen Padden, executive officer of the hospital, said the Navy is continuing to investigate the disappearance of the laptop.

"We have an internal investigation going on by our security personnel, and we have notified all of the appropriate chains of command," Padden said.

"I want to stress how seriously that the Navy is taking this. We do feel the risk is low to our patients, but no risk is acceptable to us."