CLEVELAND — The recent rash of car break-ins on Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) property has staff calling on leadership for improved security measures.
RELATED: Now the car break-ins have spread to schools
On Dec. 3, Cleveland Police said approximately 15 cars were broken into at Max S. Hayes High School.
According to a Waverly Elementary staff member, 13 cars were also broken into in the last two weeks.
Joseph M. Gallagher Elementary has seen two incidents of car break-ins in the last month, too.
"Historically there have been break-ins throughout all my history in the district," CMSD Intervention Specialist Norah Mason said.
The continuous cycle of on-campus crime pushed Mason to write a letter seeking answers from CMSD and Cleveland officials.
"I sent the letter because I was concerned, as many other teachers have expressed concern about all the recent break-ins. This has been happening for quite some time, so it's not just recent," Mason said.
She's not only worried about staff vehicles, but the overall safety of employees and students.
She said one of her biggest concerns is what if a student or staff member encounters someone committing crimes, like theft and vandalism, on campus.
"They (CMSD) need more sort of physical changes. Do we need monitors? Do we need, you know, cameras in all the parking lots that angle out better? What kinds of things can we do to prevent it for the future?," Mason asks.
CMSD Pre-K educator Monique Martin told me she has the same concerns.
"We need more security. I will say there has been security outside when we leave at dismissal, but what about when we're leaving in the middle of the day and there's no security to walk us out?," Martin said. "Surveillance is good because you can get it on camera. You might [be able to] identify who's doing what and maybe eventually catch the person. But surveillance is just not gonna help if you're right there and something is happening, and you go out and you witness it and they see you."
A co-worker of Martin's, Famika Bonner, said she's disheartened over the situation.
"One of our close friends, they got their purse taken out. It's very frustrating," Bonner said.
Mason posed the hypothetical of the individual or individuals having a gun on their person while breaking into cars.
Cleveland Chief of Police Annie Todd confirmed weapons have been stolen from vehicles linked to recent car break-ins.
All three CMSD staff members believe a training session on how to handle situations such as this should be provided by the district.
"We need to communicate more specifically on what do you do in the different situations and obviously it's hard to know when you're in a situation what to do, but at least to get some more guidance about what to do," Mason said.
I reached out to CMSD for an interview to address staff concerns.
No one was available this week.
The district did send staff a letter regarding preventative measures moving forward.
Dear CMSD Family,
I want to take a moment to acknowledge the deeply troubling incidents of vandalism and theft that have occurred across several of our school campuses and facilities. Like many of you, I am disturbed and frankly angered by these events, and I want to assure you that we are taking them very seriously.
This week, multiple vehicles were broken into at multiple CMSD schools. These acts are not only violations of personal property; they are violations of the sense of safety and trust that every member of our CMSD family deserves.
We are actively working with the Cleveland Division of Police and FLOCK Systems to investigate these incidents and identify those responsible. Chief Dodson has mobilized our internal safety team to respond swiftly and decisively. Effective immediately, all school-based security personnel have been instructed to conduct random parking lot checks at their schools. In addition, our dispatch center has begun random CCTV monitoring across all district buildings to enhance surveillance and deterrence.
More broadly, our leadership team is developing a plan to increase internal staff support for these external safety efforts as well as reviewing potential non-personnel investments to address this problem. We are committed to doing everything in our power to protect our community and restore a sense of security for all.
I want to thank each of you for your continued dedication and resilience. Please know that your safety and well-being remain our top priority. We will keep you informed as we move forward together.
Mason said she has heard back from Chief Todd as well as district leaders regarding her letter.
She plans to follow up.
One major concern that hasn't been addressed publicly is the case of CMSD members who fell victim to car break-ins and had to use their own money and paid time off to have their windows repaired.
"Is there a way that they can at least not be docked sick days?" Mason asked. "This is a huge financial burden. It's not just windows. It's also the doors that are messed up a lot of the time, so, you know, paying the insurance deductible, all that has been really quite a burden for our staff."
As a way to ease that burden, Martin created a GoFundMe with a goal of $13,000.
"Maybe we could give everybody $300 or something like that," Martin said. "Any little bit will help. We just need more people to share it. It's just a hassle, and it's an extra cost, and it's Christmas time. If you care about our students and our educators, we should truly appreciate them during this holiday season."
RELATED: More than a dozen CMSD teachers' cars broken into at schools across Cleveland
