LOS ANGELES – Administrators and teachers of McKinley Avenue Elementary School returned from winter break to a vandalized campus. This was one of 60 vandalism acts at the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) during the winter hiatus.
Though the campus is guarded by a spiked iron fence, windows are covered in wire frames and offices are monitored by motion sensors linked to an alarm, the vandals were still able to enter the grounds. Police believe whoever is responsible for the damage continued to return to the campus until Dec. 28, after school police noticed the damage.
Police suspect a group of adolescents caused the destruction. They were able to break into the school by using metal cutters to open the windows. The suspects vandalized 13 classrooms, several offices and the library.
The suspects created more of a mess, rather than taking supplies, said principal Gwendolyn Williams. Although some VCRs, cameras, laptops and stereos were stolen, the walls of many classrooms were splattered with ketchup and mayonnaise. New computers and other equipment were left alone, while student notebooks filled with stories were destroyed with ketchup as well.
The vandals also urinated on the floors and drew on classroom and library walls. There were also pornographic pictures and derogatory statements on the school walls.
Officials are trying to determine why the motion sensors did not trigger the alarm. However, it is believed the main control system, which would have set off the alarm, was tampered with, according to Williams.
Police said the understaffing of school police and empty schools contribute to the vandalism problem. Officials stated that in 2007, half of school break-ins occurred during winter, spring and summer breaks, and long holiday weekends.
Authorities are posting notices asking students to inform the proper administrators about acts of vandalism. Also, officials will hand out magnets with the same message thanks to a recent grant, Police Lt. Timothy Anderson said.
On Jan. 2, teachers painted over the graffiti written on the walls, and cleaned up signs of disorder throughout the school. Students are scheduled to return on Jan. 7.
Sixty LAUSD campuses have reported signs of vandalism during the winter break. During the 2006-07 winter vacation, police said there were a reported 19 break-ins; during the 2005-06 hiatus, there were 63 reports.