PAYING ATTENTION!
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Laboy:
Only One Act of Vandalism Since Security Cut
Rumbo Finds At Least 20!
-Tom Duggan
School
Committeeman Noah Shannon wants to have security guards
put back in the schools on third shift. He placed the
item of third shift security on the agenda for discussion
last week but was told by Superintendent Laboy that
"there has only been one incident of vandalism"
since he removed the guards from schools last year. But
according to incident reports filed by security guards
and custodians over the last several moths that's not
exactly true. In fact, it's not even close.
Interviews with school personnel and a thorough review of
the few incident reports we were able to obtain copies of
show that there have been numerous incidents of graffiti
and vandalism at various schools in the city since Laboy
removed the guards lst June amid protest from
neighborhood groups and security officers.
Shannon would not comment to me directly about Laboy's
misstatements but he did say he was going to continue to
pursue the issue. "I think we need guards in the
schools at night, and on weekends. The public has made it
clear that this is what they want too." Shannon
said, "Especially given the millions of dollars we
have invested in computers and equipment." Two other
school board members also said they plan on supporting a
measure to return 3rd shift security in the schools.
According to the Education reform Act, School Committees
have the power to make policy, which means if at least
four School Committee members vote to make 24 hour
security a Lawrence School Department policy the guards
will be put back in schools.
Below is a list of the few incident reports Rumbo was
able to obtain concerning vandalism on third shift and on
weekends since Laboy removed security on 3rd shift. This
list does not include the $100,000 worth of damage done
to the frost school last June when teens broke into the
school on a weekend. Rumbo is formally requesting a cost
assessment of the damage done so far and will report that
figure when the superintendent releases the information.
Incident Reports Filed with the Lawrence School
Department by Security Personnel
Date ............School ..............Damage ....................Time Noticed
10/28/01 .....Bruce .................Broken Windows .........6:50 am
11/5/01 .......NCE ..................Broken Windows .........5:45
am
11/06/01 .....Arlington ...........graffiti .........................8:05 am
11/08/01 .....Arlington ...........graffiti .........................7:05 am
11/09/01 .....Arlington ...........graffiti .........................7:05 am
11/16/01 .....Arlington ...........graffiti .........................8:22 am
11/13/01 .....Guilmette ...........broken windows .........9:00 am
11/13/01 .....Arlington ...........graffiti .........................8:00 am
11/26/01 .....Bruce .................graffiti .........................7:00 am
12/03/01 .....Arlington ...........graffiti .........................8:37 am
12/10/01 .....Arlington ...........graffiti .........................7:00 am
12/07/01 .....Arlington ...........graffiti .........................7:15 am
12/14/01 .....Guilmette ...........graffiti ........................7:30 am
11/16/01 .....Arlington ............graffiti ........................8:30 am
1/12/02 .......Leahy .................Fence Broken .............5:30 am
1/14/012 .....SLE ...................broken windows ...........9:00
am
1/17/02 .......Arlington ...........graffiti ........................ 8:08 am
1/14/02 .......Haverhill St. ......broken windows ...........8:15 am
1/14/02 .......Bruce .................graffiti ........................7:20 am
2/19/02 .......Bruce ............... broken windows ..........5:15a m
Looks like there have been a few more than "ONE act of vandalism" since last June when security was removed from third shift in our public schools.