At least a hundred Cleveland teachers’ cars have been broken into recently in school parking lots, according to the Cleveland Teachers Union says, part of a wider rash of break-ins across the city.
Dozens of windows have been smashed over the last several weeks, and personal items and car registrations have been stolen, Union President Shari Obrenski said. In one case, a car was actually stolen. In many cases, however, nothing was taken. Obrenski said teachers have been "frustrated" and have had to take care of the damage from the break-ins with their own insurance.
She said external security cameras aren't working at some of buildings and the district needs to step up its monitoring and improve its security staffing. Some schools have no security officers, Obrenski added, whereas at others, the officer is only part-time.
"Unfortunately the people who are breaking into cars during the day don't care if the security officer is there just in the morning or just in the afternoon," she said.
CMSD CEO Warren Morgan in a letter to staff earlier this month said the district is taking the break-ins "very seriously," noting he was "disturbed and frankly angered" by the rash of incidents.
"We are actively working with the Cleveland Division of Police and FLOCK Systems to investigate these incidents and identify those responsible," Morgan said. "(CMSD Security) 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."
The district is also exploring "a plan to increase internal staff support for these external safety efforts as well as reviewing potential non-personnel investments" to address the problem," Morgan said.
Flock Safety is a private security vendor that provides license-plate monitoring systems to a wide variety of clients. The ACLU has voiced concerns about the impact of such technology on civil liberties, alleging the company is creating "dangerous nationwide mass-surveillance infrastructure." CMSD is paying $603,000 per year for that system, said Communications Officer Jon Benedict.
"We’ve used license plate reader systems for several years, beginning in 2022. It was paid for through grant funding until this year, when it is now paid with district funds," Benedict said in an email. "Flock provides License Plate Readers on our school properties, which help our Safety & Security officers, and our public safety partners, enhancing real-time monitoring of our properties, in addition to serving as investigative tools if a crime occurs.
"If a vehicle is flagged as stolen, for example, Safety & Security personnel can be alerted immediately. Additionally, in the event of a theft, LPR (license plate readers) can provide valuable evidence—such as time-stamped images and plate numbers—that can assist law enforcement in identifying suspects and recovering stolen property."
The city has been dealing with dozens of car break-ins in recent weeks, including in church parking lots.
Obrenski said CMSD's building consolidation plan might help the district balance security at all schools.
"One of the positive things that may come out of school consolidation is that we may finally be at the staffing levels for safety and security that will actually promote safety and safety in all of our schools," she said.
