Spike in vandalism at Gilroy schools; most recent involves
broken window at Glen View
By Rachelle Gines Staff Writer
Gilroy – Vandals broke a window at Glen View Elementary School Wednesday night, a day after it had been replaced after vandals broke it sometime Monday, school officials said.
Meanwhile, police discovered two more broken windows Wednesday night at El Roble Elementary school.
Unfortunately, these incidents are not rare, and other similar acts of vandalism have cost Gilroy Unified School District an average of $75,000 for each of the last three school years, Steve Brinkman, assistant superintendent for administrative services of the Gilroy Unified School District said Friday morning.
The broken windows join a list of vandalism that includes burned and kicked in trash cans, broken sprinklers, broken fixtures in school restrooms, and etching in glass windows. Damage to walls and benches from skateboarders are not uncommon, and just recently, vandals burned patches of field and the initials J.C into the new turf at the Gilroy High School football field. This goes along with regular “tagging” or graffiti that invades school property, Brinkman said.
“We’re literally under a constant siege of vandalism and destruction,” he said.
The summer months always see a spike in school vandalism, Brinkman said, because kids have nothing to do. Community Service Officer Angela Locke-Paddon who is also in charge of graffiti abatement at the Gilroy Police Department, agreed with Brinkman.
“Since there’s more light later in the day, and kids are out later, it just leads to more graffiti and vandalism.”
Summer vandalism incidents
In his last three years as assistant superintendent for administrative services, Brinkman said the amount of vandalism at Gilroy schools, particularly in the summer months, is uncomprehendable.
“Unless someone works in facilities, its impossible to understand,” Brinkman said.
On July 18, several juveniles broke into Las Animas Elementary School, and broke five windows that cost $300 each, at a total cost of $1,500. Brinkman said the juveniles were caught, and that the case has been sent to the District Attorney’s office. On July 11 or 12, Brinkman said, someone stole a computer server and some monitors from Brownell Middle School.
As for a Fourth of July fire between two portables at Antonio Del Buono that was once thought to be electrical in nature, Brinkman said fire investigators have told him that it might be arson. At a cost of about $50,000 to $60,000, two walls, parts of the ceiling, the roof, carpet and floors had to be repaired. In addition, electrical wiring had to be replaced and Brinkman said there might have been damage to the heating, ventilating and air-conditioning units.
On June 26, at Elliot Elementary School, surveillance tapes show four juveniles breaking into rooms and using fire extinguishers to spray a number of computers and some televisions in rooms C202 and C204 on the second floor, Brinkman said.
“It was a lot of cleanup,” Brinkman said. “We’re trying to work with the police department, and we also plan to forward the tapes to officials throughout the district so someone might recognize these individuals,” Brinkman said.
And over the course of the last five months, Brinkman said seven windows were broken at Glen View Elementary School, and that seven more windows were broken at Gilroy Community Day School. He said large rocks or stones used by vandals are usually found by the broken windows.
“These are not your cheap windows. These are very large, double-pane windows that cost anywhere from $750 to $1,250 to replace,” Brinkman said of the windows at the Community Day School.
Although the district has insurance that covers vandalism, he said the deductible is $1,000 and rates rise with each incident the school reports.
Locke-Paddon said juveniles don’t usually vandalize or tag their own school, but target other schools.
“It’s unfortunate and so sad that people do this, because the district is struggling with money as it is,” Locke-Paddon said.
Stopping the vandalism
Vandalism, is not new to Gilroy schools, and is not something easy to stop Brinkman said.
“This is a social fabric issue. It’s basically about values, and children, and how they are today.” Brinkman said. He said it is obvious that more foot patrol is needed, but that everyone in Gilroy can help curb vandalism.
“Yes, we need more foot patrol. But people need to come forward, and literally tell on these people,” Brinkman said. “People are so reluctant, but these people need to be exposed. What really needs to happen is for the community to become vigilant in reporting incidents to authorities.”
