LANCASTER SCHOOL DISTRICT SEEKS HELP REWARDS OFFERED FOR INFORMATION LEADING TO ARREST, CONVICTION OF VANDALS.

Byline: KAREN MAESHIRO Staff Writer

LANCASTER -- School officials are seeking the public's help in combating a growing problem of vandalism and theft, the latest at Piute Middle School where vandals trashed 11 rooms and caused more than $20,000 in damage.

Lancaster School District campuses last school year suffered 90 break-ins and vandalism incidents that cost the district more than $200,000.

``It's ramped up in the last year-and-a-half. It's just killing us,'' Superintendent Steve Gocke said. ``Teachers are going nuts; people are afraid to come to school. It's almost getting to be like a terror kind of thing. At night custodians are having to deal with perpetrators.''

The 15,000-student, 18-school district is appealing to residents to call a crime tip hotline to report incidents anonymously, whether it be burglaries, graffiti, illegal drug use or vandalism.

The WeTip Hotline is 1-800-78-CRIME, or 1-800-782-7463. The hotline was set up through the district's property and liability insurance carrier.

Rewards of up to $1,000 are offered if a tip leads to an arrest and conviction.

``The WeTip program is a way the community can anonymously give us some help. A lot of people are afraid to say anything, especially if they are in the neighborhood, and it's neighborhood chums who are doing this,'' Gocke said.

School employees are handing out fliers with WeTip information to school neighbors. Posters and signs will be put up at schools.

``We've ordered posters and signs to put up around schools so even if they are closed, should someone see activity going on, they can call the number,'' said Lydia Johns, the district's director of risk management. ``We do need community involvement.''

In the wake of the Piute vandalism -- which occurred over the July 21 weekend, about two weeks after the start of classes -- district officials are taking steps to beef up security there.

The district will spend nearly $40,000 to install motion detectors at the Piute campus. Trustees also approved providing extra security patrols at the school after school hours and on weekends until the new security system can be operational.

The plan is to have similar anti-theft systems installed at all district schools. The district also is looking at installing surveillance cameras at Piute.

``In the first two weeks of school, Piute got hit several times. Endeavour (Middle School) had a bathroom burn down and was broken into later that night. In nine days of schools, the loss was unbelievable,'' Gocke said.

The district's painter spends part of every day painting over graffiti, Gocke added.

``Some of it is theft. A lot of it is senseless,'' Gocke said.

Gocke estimates that the district will spend about $500,000 on security measures.

``We've used after-hour patrols with the Sheriff's Department. We've got full-time security at Piute. That's ridiculous,'' Gocke said.

Three former Piute students -- two 14-year-olds and one 13-year-old -- have been charged with breaking into and vandalizing the school, in the 400 block of East Avenue H-11.

Intruders smashed windows in 10 classrooms and a computer lab, splattered paint, damaged classroom equipment and emptied fire extinguishers.

One of the 14-year-olds is a gang member and was free awaiting trial on charges stemming from a robbery at the 7-Eleven store at Third Street East and Avenue I, about a half-mile from the school, deputies said.

He and the 13-year-old are also believed to have burglarized Piute on four previous occasions, deputies said.

The boys, whose names have not been released because of their ages, are facing charges of burglary and vandalism in Lancaster Juvenile Court, deputies said.

karen.maeshiro(at)dailynews.com

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