KAS: Burglars might use confidential information

Employees at a primary school in Kingstown are warning the public to beware of fraudulent documents that may carry the school’s official letterhead.{{more}}

The Kingstown Anglican School was burglarized on October 23, the first anniversary of a spate of burglaries that occurred there last year.

According to reports, the burglar(s) entered the school through louvres at the back of the building, from an area which is poorly lit. During that burglary, the school’s main computer was taken.

An employee at the school indicated to SEARCHLIGHT that this computer stored important school documents including students academic and medical records; business and Ministry of Education correspondence; private letters to parents or on parents’ behalf, test papers and teaching aids.

The employee, who wishes to remain anonymous, also highlighted that the computer could be used to send fraudulent information about the school.

“The most frightening thing about this burglary is that the computer contains the school’s letterhead,” the employee stated. “This can be used by unscrupulous persons to defraud business houses or persons here and abroad through solicitation letters erroneously believed to be coming from the school”.

Another employee expressed some of the negative effects that the burglary has on the school.

“It’s a frustrating situation. Teachers, parents, students; it affects the whole morale of the school,” the employee said.

“There are many names, addresses and telephone numbers of persons who may all find themselves targets in the near future. Added to that, in this advent of social media, potentially harmful or embarrassing information about students can be posted in social forums to the detriment of many,” said one employee.

“… I would like to appeal to the burglars to bring back the CPU/hard drive if nothing else. They could lean it up against the same window they pulled it through at the back of the school.”

It was also highlighted that the security at the school is unsatisfactory.

“The security is poor. All the fences…are broken down. On the side, there’s a piece of land there where the grass is overgrown,” one of the employees explained.

Another worker complained about the school’s watchmen and “the procrastination of the departments that were supposed to secure the school and office ceiling since last year.”

In June 2012, pupils from some grades from the school were relocated from the main school building to the old glove factory building on Bay Street, after a fire at Eustace Auto Supplies caused some damage to the school. One employee indicated that they were expected to be at the glove factory building temporarily, however, no repair work has been carried out on the main building as yet.

Furthermore, the employee stated that the school has been broken into several times this year: July 15 being the latest case before the recent burglary.

The Kingstown Anglican School was broken into every night from October 23 to November 5, 2012. On November 5, 2012, Clare Valley resident, Challis Roberts was arrested after he was found in the school, hiding on the ledge of the teacher’s bathroom. Roberts was placed on a six month bond in the sum of $1,000 on November 7, 2012.