Saipan Tribune

Monday, May 20, 2013

Monday, January 14, 2013

Kagman High School burglarized

The Public School System lost more precious equipment after Kagman High School fell victim to burglars who walked off with the school library's computer and accessories last week.

KHS principal Alfred Ada confirmed with Saipan Tribune that one computer and its accessories were stolen Thursday night from the library. The cost of items stolen was estimated at $10,000, according to Ada.

Ada said the incident was discovered by the school's maintenance personnel at about 7:48am Friday after the staff found the broken shutter glass of the library. The principal was immediately notified of the break-in, which was immediately reported to authorities.

Thursday night's burglary was the first theft incident at PSS this year and the first in the history of KHS. Ada said that in previous years, break-in attempts at the school were prevented due to the vigilance and active involvement of the community around the school.

Last year, two public schools were also victims of similar incidents. Garapan Elementary lost computers and other equipment worth over $10,000 in a theft incident in March. William S. Reyes Elementary was also victimized by series of burglaries last year and lost similar equipment in at least three burglaries. Burglars last broke into the campus in August last year.

The inadequate budget for public schools has resulted in a shortfall of security personnel for each and every campus.

Education Commissioner Rita A. Sablan, Ed.D, confirmed Friday the burglary incident in KHS and said that the issue is being investigated by authorities while her leadership continues to look for ways on how to prevent similar incidents from happening in other schools.

To better protect students and PSS property, Ada said the three public schools in Kagman will be sharing their security resources. These include Kagman Elementary, Chacha Oceanview Junior High, and Kagman High School.

Saipan Tribune learned that new security contract for these campuses will be executed immediately.