Camera Effectiveness Questioned After Vandalism
Nine broken windows in the portable wings have raised concerns about campus security methods
By Darius Parakh
Nine broken windows in the portable wings have raised concerns about campus security methods
By Darius Parakh
Shattering the mid-semester calm, nine large windows spread across both the P and R wings were destroyed overnight on Feb. 29, marking the first major vandalism in Pioneer since the begin of a district-wide crackdown on crime in late 2016.
Allegedly shot by BB-guns, only one window per classroom was destroyed, leading Assistant Principal of Discipline Tim Gavello to believe that this was no more than a random act of violence, based solely on opportunity, rather than students spreading a message.
“It looked like four individuals were on bikes and we don’t know if they are our students or not,” said Gavello. “They looked young, so they may have even been middle school students, which means it probably wasn’t targeted at all. Luckily, nothing was taken and the suspects did not enter any of the classrooms.”
Many of the cameras on campus are in need of maintenance and were unable to clearly record the event, preventing the administration from finding the culprits.
Originally commissioned through the use of Measure H bond money, the cameras were installed with the goal of completing the bond’s initiative to improve the “safety and security” of school campuses. According to Gavello, since then, the district has failed to regularly maintain or expand the system, an issue that math teacher Eric Perry has been fighting for since the cameras’ installation in 2016.
“My frustration is that (the administration) has the security cameras all around campus, but have none over here to record the R-wing alley way and the path by the gym. I lobbied with Mr. Gavello to add a new camera, but ultimately, that’s not his call to make, it’s the district’s,” said Perry. “I don’t even know if the cameras even see anything.”
Without the key footage, San José Unified School District has decided to partner with the San Jose Police Department to track down the suspects, who have already determined the rough timing of the event according to Public Information Officer Gina Tepoorten.
“Follow-up investigation determined that the vandalism occurred the day before, on Saturday, at about 9:30 PM. The unknown suspects shattered the windows to several portable classrooms causing a significant amount of damage,” said Tepoorten. “The suspects have not been identified or apprehended.”
Without any results, the camera system has come under new scrutiny. Regardless of the cameras’ reliability, Gavello stresses that they have already proven to be effective, as the amount of tagging has decreased significantly since they were installed.
In the meantime, Principal Herbert Espiritu has submitted a work order to the district to replace the temporary plywood on the windows, which was scheduled for Monday, March 16.
Allegedly shot by BB-guns, only one window per classroom was destroyed, leading Assistant Principal of Discipline Tim Gavello to believe that this was no more than a random act of violence, based solely on opportunity, rather than students spreading a message.
“It looked like four individuals were on bikes and we don’t know if they are our students or not,” said Gavello. “They looked young, so they may have even been middle school students, which means it probably wasn’t targeted at all. Luckily, nothing was taken and the suspects did not enter any of the classrooms.”
Many of the cameras on campus are in need of maintenance and were unable to clearly record the event, preventing the administration from finding the culprits.
Originally commissioned through the use of Measure H bond money, the cameras were installed with the goal of completing the bond’s initiative to improve the “safety and security” of school campuses. According to Gavello, since then, the district has failed to regularly maintain or expand the system, an issue that math teacher Eric Perry has been fighting for since the cameras’ installation in 2016.
“My frustration is that (the administration) has the security cameras all around campus, but have none over here to record the R-wing alley way and the path by the gym. I lobbied with Mr. Gavello to add a new camera, but ultimately, that’s not his call to make, it’s the district’s,” said Perry. “I don’t even know if the cameras even see anything.”
Without the key footage, San José Unified School District has decided to partner with the San Jose Police Department to track down the suspects, who have already determined the rough timing of the event according to Public Information Officer Gina Tepoorten.
“Follow-up investigation determined that the vandalism occurred the day before, on Saturday, at about 9:30 PM. The unknown suspects shattered the windows to several portable classrooms causing a significant amount of damage,” said Tepoorten. “The suspects have not been identified or apprehended.”
Without any results, the camera system has come under new scrutiny. Regardless of the cameras’ reliability, Gavello stresses that they have already proven to be effective, as the amount of tagging has decreased significantly since they were installed.
In the meantime, Principal Herbert Espiritu has submitted a work order to the district to replace the temporary plywood on the windows, which was scheduled for Monday, March 16.