Comments on: Vandals strike elementary school

By: Katy Murphy

Katy Murphy — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 03:04:31 +0000

Good questions. I don’t know, but I’ll see what I can find out.

By: Nextset

Nextset — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 03:01:26 +0000

Katy: Do the Oakland-area private schools get vandalized also? Is there any difference in their security tactics, or those of Piedmont Unified, with OUSD school property security??

Is the vandalism we speak of here just what goes with the territory, or is there some higher incidence here at OUSD? What if anything could the district do to cut the losses without spending too much money?

By: ex-Oakland staff

ex-Oakland staff — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 02:51:52 +0000

Nextset – OUSD is self insured. Many schools are alarmed. Some schools have cameras.

By: Katy Murphy

Katy Murphy — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 00:13:27 +0000

Yes, I’ve blogged about these events before — arson fire at Sobrante Park, break-ins at various schools and at the central office.

I still think these incidents should see the light of day.

By: Ms. J.

Ms. J. — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 00:08:27 +0000

Hey,
Thanks for posting, Katy, but I’m kind of surprised if this is the first such incident you’ve heard of. Maybe it’s just because Lincoln is a California Distinguished School (for whatever that’s worth)that this is getting attention. Both Oakland schools where I taught were vandalized repeatedly and terribly while I was there. In my first year teaching my portable was ransacked and trashed not once but twice. It was awful, demoralizing, infuriating, etc etc. But my students and I were not the only ones to have this happen to us. It’s outrageous but it’s pretty common I think.

By: Nextset

Nextset — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 17:39:37 +0000

Snoop Dog: Only a fool or a dreamer believes this criminal justice system provides a remedy or solution for crime in this state. The only way to win the crime victim game is not to be one – or to have very generous insurance. That is how you run a business (or your life), you arrange things to not be a victim.

Businesses such as See’s Candies manage their loss exposure by limiting where they will operate a store, setting up physical security (locks, doors, etc) and alarms, and insuring. Insurance rates are of course tied to location, existance of alarms and other such rating factors.

School security involves placement, physical plant security provisions, and some form of insurance.

So does OUSD alarm all their premises? Among other things that is supposed to deny criminals quiet time within which to do so much damage. Cameras have become relatively cheap. Camera systems now transmit images over the internet to the alarm central station so there is real time observation of intruders. How is insurance handled – is OUSD self insured?

The “community” is not going to get involved with anything other than their own day to day survival. Running the schools is OUSD’s business and that includes school security. They are expected to take care of their own business.

By: Snoop Dogg

Snoop Dogg — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 13:43:55 +0000

I think this can be a learning opportunity for all. I hope the vandals get caught and are made an example to all they affected. public apology, clean up, their families pay for damages.

If they don’t caught…well then I hope the community gets involved and get the people who did it and do what they need to do.

By: Mr. G

Mr. G — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 07:43:52 +0000

I can’t say this surprises me. I have heard of several middle school students getting jumped in Lincoln Park by older kids in the last couple of weeks.

If you let punks hang around a school harassing kids, this is what happens.

I hear the new principal at Lincoln has been doing a great job keeping his kids safe. Between an attempted kidnapping earlier in the year and this act of vandalism, he’s had his hands full. It’s too bad he isn’t getting more support from OPD.

By: Nextset

Nextset — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 05:09:33 +0000

I see this and wonder why this doesn’t happen to Washington Mutual, or a local shop, but it does happen to a school.

Is there a factor of the schools possibly not having alarm systems in place? The commercial buildings all have alarms and some of them now have camera systems.

In terms of the motivation – I can see disordered adolescents vandalizing their own school out of frustration – but this is a primary school. Did pre-pubescents do this?

If any school building isn’t protected by silent or audible alarms I think we have a problem with the authorities not protecting their real estate. Katy: Do you have more info?

Patrick: As far as crime and punishment, you have to understand – our criminal justice system no longer punishes much of anything. Criminals make little distinction between time in and time out. They are only marking time until their eventual (premature) deaths. They really don’t value their own lives and just exist rather than life life. If you want punishment, look at Asia’s Criminal Justice system.

Here the premium is on the would-be victims not to allow themselves to become victims. Some victims are more equal than others.

By: Patrick

Patrick — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 02:43:25 +0000

I consider myself a fairly liberal person. But when I see something like this, all thoughts of constitutional rights and fits-the-crime punishment go out the window. A school! I truly cannot imagine what sort of awful, twisted combination of nature and nurture led to this despicable act.

I too look forward to the Wish List and volunteering details. Disgusting!