The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

TWO laptops, five projectors, parts of a public address system and cash were stolen from Thelma Gibson Primary School yesterday morning. Police are investigating the incident which school principal Donna Brown told The Tribune was discovered by on-duty security officers of a private firm.

No one was injured during the robbery, but office doors were chiselled open. All five of the school’s working projectors and all three of the school office’s laptops were stolen.

The projectors, which Ms Brown said teachers used consistently,  cost $800 each. The PA system had cost $500.

Though she did not say exactly how much money was stolen, Ms Brown said it was supposed to go towards payment of school bills and was raised during a school event on Tuesday. All the money that came from that event was stolen.

Both the principal and vice principal’s offices were broken into.

While disappointed, Ms Brown said: “The school has to run; we still have to teach our children; we have to rise above this. Security officers should’ve been in the area,” Ms Brown said. “That was one of their bosses’ request, to always be in the area of the office. Whether they were here or not, I don’t know. We have to start over and make up for our loss over the summer.

“I’m not really surprised by the theft,” she said. “I’ve experience it before. We need to use it as a measure to say we need to up our safety measures. Wherever we had a loophole, we have to find a way to close it.”

Ms Brown said the school does not generally have problems with security. “We have a very good security firm,” she said. “The person in charge is passionate. Workers here maybe didn’t follow through with his requirements, but he has very high standards.”