Larger question is why there isn’t an incident report on file at
GPD
News that Gilroy High School football players were involved in a recent locker room burglary incident is disturbing, ugly and obviously an unfortunate stain on the tail end of a remarkable football season.
Several thousand dollars worth of electronic equipment, cash and clothing were stolen according to the school administration and Gilroy police. It’s always disturbing when students’ sense of safety is violated.
Second, coming as it did on the heels of a spectacular football season in which players received an outpouring of community support and widespread praise for their commitment on the field and in the classroom, this incident represents a major disappointment for the community.
Only one player has been punished with a two-day suspension so far – administrators say that they “don’t have a lot of proof at this point.” Hopefully, this has nothing to do with the athletic status of the individuals involved. The consistent lesson must be that fame, even on the scale of small-town notoriety, and inborn athletic talent do not make athletes exempt from the rules or above the law. Even if – no, especially if – the punishment makes life difficult for an athlete’s team, consequences must be enforced.
Third, we’re quite concerned that no incident report had been filed by the Gilroy Police Department regarding this matter, and additionally, that not filing incident reports when police are called to GHS seems to be a pattern.
We can only speculate on why this might be – manipulating statistics about school safety leaps immediately to mind as does concern about the school’s image in the community. Whatever the case, it has to change.
How can district officials and city council members evaluate resource needs and allocations for police and school staff if these reports are routinely undocumented?
How can the community evaluate the effectiveness of its police force or its school administration if these incidents are routinely undocumented?
How can victims in these case file insurance claims if police reports about these incidents are unavailable?
Statistics sometimes don’t paint a pretty picture, but the community is not served by ignoring or distorting reality.
Guidelines around incident reports need to be established in writing, clearly communicated to all police officers, and stringently followed.
Anything less is a severe disservice to every Gilroyan.
