Primary schools are arming themselves with security guards, reinforced
doors and CCTV camera systems to prevent thefts.
In the
Auckland suburb of Mangere, schools have been hit 55 times since last November.
Laptops, cameras and projectors are top of the list. Much of the equipment had
been paid for with fundraising by the parents. Once it's gone, there is no real
hope of recovery.
One school has been broken into 10 times
in the past month, and its principal is saying don't come again - there's
nothing left to take.
Both schools Campbell Live spoke to
today say the police have done nothing, effectively, leaving groups of thieves
to run riot around their schools.
Maria Heron from Mangere
Central Primary and Judy Hanna from Mangere Bridge Primary have one thing in
common: their schools have come under repeated attack from groups of young
thieves.
"I felt absolutely sick when I came on site,"
says Ms Heron. "I've never seen anything like that."
"I
feel very angry, I feel disappointed and I feel hurt on behalf of all the
children who come to this school," says Ms Hanna.
"Three
times our doors were jimmied open and the fire alarm set off. We have had
laptops [stolen], desktops, digital computers, data projectors, CDs, so our kids
have come back from the holidays to learn and a whole component in which they
learn has disappeared."
There have been 15 break ins at
schools in the Mangere area in the past month. Ten have been from Mangere Bridge
Primary. Of those 10, none have been solved. In fact, until yesterday none had
even been followed up.
Now the schools are fortifying
themselves, and it is the school's budget that will foot the
bill.
"We have had a security guard on site since the
first Wednesday," says Ms Hanna. "There has been no break ins since then."
She will consider CCTV, but "it's $40,000, and you look
at the spread of this school, where would we put them? I would get one or two
classrooms. We need the money on learning, we don't want to spend it on
security."
Mangere Central has already spent money on high
fences and infra-red sensory monitors. Now it needs
more.
"We'll up our security," says Ms Heron. "We've got
guards here for now at night, and the Ministry [of Education] won't fund that
forever. That will come at the cost of our operational budget in the end, at the
cost of pens and books, and we'll look at upgrading our security systems again
at a cost to the school.
The thieves took similar items
from both schools: items like laptops which are easy to onsell. But it's not
just the loss of equipment that's left both principals
gutted.
"[I was] up to 4pm last night when an inspector
from Otahuhu said he would follow up," says Ms Hanna. "We've had nothing...and
the two before that nothing...not even a follow up."
After
speaking to the media, Ms Hanna managed to get police to follow up on the names
and addresses of the alleged offenders, and this afternoon police issued this
statement: "After following up on the Mangere Bridge Primary burglary, we have
arrested a 14-year-old male and spoken to four minors. The minors will be dealt
with by way of care and protection action. None of the equipment has been
recovered."
Mangere Central is still waiting for action.
It is believed a group of around 20 attacked the school late last
week.
"Older people were removing equipment while little
kids were running around smashing things," says Ms Heron. "A neighbour told me
15 children of various ages jumped the fence and ran through the
carport."
The break-in has taken a big toll on the
children at the school. Many lost their work when the laptops they used daily
were stolen.
In the 18 years Ms Hanna has worked at this
school she has never experienced anything like this. She has a warning for any
burglar thinking of stealing from her school.
"Stay
away...we don't need you here. You're not welcome anywhere. I want to take
photos of these people and paste them around the community."