(Photo: submitted by Aubrey Kirkpatrick)
Vandals and thieves have caused thousands of dollars in damages to several maintenance vehicles owned by the Anglophone East School District.
Director of Finance and Administration Aubrey Kirkpatrick says the vans and trucks were parked in a fenced in area at Bernice MacNaughton high school when the culprits struck last week, “There were five vehicles that were broken into. Tools and equipment was stolen and they were after the catalytic converters. But the perpetrators decided to come back the next night, and there were seven more vehicles hit.’
He says the vehicles are stored at their maintenance compound, and they were all locked and secured, “Our team of maintenance people were very dismayed when they showed up for work on Thursday morning.”
Kirkpatrick says the vehicles are only insured for damage, but not theft, so they are going to have to find the money to replace the tools.
“These are both district supplied tools and their own supplied tools and maintenance staff were very busy this summer, “Maintenance team is comprised of carpenters, plumbers and electricians, HVAC who keep our schools running smoothly and efficiently. The summer is very busy, as they get projects done to get ready for September,” Kirkpatrick says.
He adds, unfortunately this isn’t the first time they have been faced with vandals, “We had, earlier in the summer, I think two buses had their catalytic converters stolen at one of our bus compounds. it has happened on a number of occasions throughout the district where out buses get stored. So it’s a constant battle.”
RCMP are working with the School District in their investigation, “We know that there are cameras and video cameras behind Bernice MacNaughton and we have our IT team looking into that,” Kirkpatrick says.
If you have any information or photos in connection with these incidents, you are asked to contact Codiac RCMP.
