By Kara Kupferberg

On Dec. 18, parents, teachers, and students who attended South’s wrestling match against Plainview in the East Gym were taken by surprise when they returned to the lower parking lot: someone had broken into their cars. Some cars were left unlocked, and others had windows broken. The perpetrator stole valuable items such as wallets, iPods, iPads, and other personal property.
The crime was captured on security cameras, but the footage was not clear enough for security or the police to identify the person or his license plate. Since the lower lot is not well lit, it was easy for the man to hide behind cars and avoid being seen. In addition, because there were multiple events happening at South High and South Middle that night, security was stretched throughout the whole campus.
In order to respond to this incident, security will be doing more loops around campus at night.
During the day, the gates to this lot are closed, making it safer for students. However, the administration has said students should not leave valuables in their cars and should make sure to lock their cars.
Students and staff were not informed about the incident because of its timing. By the time all the details were clarified, school was already ending for the holidays. Principal Susan Elliot said, “There is a balance between informing everyone and creating unnecessary anxiety. We don’t want people too afraid.”