Three juveniles were arrested yesterday evening after breaking a window and climbing on the roof of a public middle school l in Tacoma. Jeff, a swing shift Operator, received alarms from the hallway at 8:30 last night and could hear kids talking. He called the Tacoma School Patrol but the guard was far away and requested a police dispatch. The officers arrived and found the young suspects.

Preventing vandalism at schools has many benefits: custodial time doesn’t need to be spent cleaning up vandalism or replacing windows, students feel safer and more focused on academics, and money spent on repairs and replacements is saved. School vandalism also opens the doors to other crimes, such as burglary. While most school districts have contracts with patrol services, one guard can’t be in more than one place at a time. Observant neighbors can certainly help, but more often than not, intrusions and vandalism at schools goes unnoticed by human eyes. School alarm systems that protect the entire school campus, not just the perimeter, can be useful tools in catching vandalism in the act. Many schools turn to surveillance, but that would only be of use after someone noticed the broken window and the suspects would be gone already. Verified intrusion goes a long ways toward preventing vandalism at schools.