TEXAS LAPTOP THEFT ADDRESSED BY ADDING TRACKING AGENT SOFTWARE TO COMPUTERS
October 31, 2004 Sunday
SECOND EDITION

IRVING; Pg. 1K

Laptop recovery a priority District contracts with firm that specializes in reducing losses

RUSSELL RIAN, Staff Writer


Irving ISD is trying a new way to reduce thefts of laptops issued to students - a "major concern," according to principals surveyed for a recent school security study.

The district is contracting with a Canadian company for a tracking service, which includes a special recovery team of former law enforcement officers to find the laptop and then work with local police to get it back, said Christine Tang, a company spokeswoman.

"We want to use this in an efficient way such that the cost of what is happening to computers will be lessened for us," Superintendent Jack Singley said. "We're not particularly proud of the success we're having with our insurance program. And that's why we've been out looking for something that we can have a better track record on."

The first year the district rolled out about 4,000 laptops and lost 155 laptops - a 3.8 percent rate, said Chuck Norwood, purchasing director for the district. That's about the industry standard, which runs from 3.5 to 5 percent, officials said. Last year, with about 8,000 laptops distributed to all grade levels, the district lost about 200, which dropped the rate to about 2.5 percent.

Parents pay a $50 fee for the district's insurance. The new program, which goes into effect immediately, keeps the costs about level, so it won't affect what parents pay, officials said.

The new tracking technology isn't foolproof, officials admit, but "to the average Joe, it's pretty pervasive and persistent," Ms. Tang said. The company's technology covers 22 patents and has been around for nearly 10 years.

The company offers its services to businesses, public institutions and individuals, and recovers about 80 percent of the traceable computers, Ms. Tang said. It recently began offering a "recovery guarantee," paying up to $1,000 for laptops not recovered within two months after a theft report is filed.

The new laptop security program will cost the district $304,000 - about $75,000 less than renewing its traditional insurance. The cost is about $8 cheaper per laptop, officials said, and provides better coverage.

"We think it's going to be a benefit for us, saving us on some insurance," said Alice Owen, director of technology for the district.

Irving ISD's computers are already tagged so pawnshops know when they have a stolen one. It also includes a toll-free number to call. Other security measures include having school-based police officers and administrators keeping watch in cafeterias, one of the hotspots for thefts because students leave them sitting around or forget them in their backpacks. Gymnasiums, locker rooms and athletic fields are another common place for laptops to be left behind and stolen.

More closed-circuit security cameras on campuses will probably be another tool. Principals cited laptop thefts as a "major concern" in a recent security survey for the district. That study concluded more closed-circuit cameras were needed to help improve overall security, including cutting back on thefts. The district is awaiting word on some grant money to help fund the expansion