Value of Reported Thefts Down By 51 Percent at Nicolet

Calculators, iPods and cellphones are just a few of the items sticky fingers are finding at . While the value of stolen items decreased by 51 percent from last year, Nicolet Resource Officer Kelly DeJonge questions if the value of the thefts are really going down, or if kids are just more reluctant to report them.

"Honestly, I think that the kids are not reporting the thefts as much as they did last year," DeJonge said. "I am not too sure the reason why, but have heard kids saying, 'Nothing can be done anyways, so I don’t want to report it.'" 

Brian Reiels, director of facility services, gave his report on the school thefts to the Facility Committee, explaining that nearly every theft is from unattended or unsecured property, such as items left in a book bag or an unlocked locker, with the majority stolen from locker rooms.

In March, only three items were stolen. But those three things were big-ticket items: an iPod and cell phone valued at $250, a TI-83 calculator valued at $100 and a cellphone valued at $100. But for the 2010-11 school year, a total of $6,252 of property and/or cash were reported stolen from students.

DeJonge concourred with Reiels that the majority of thefts occur in the gym locker rooms when students do not lock up their belongings. The four-year average value of the thefts from 2007 through 2011 is $8,730.25 and last year the total was more than $12,000.

"I always tell kids there is no reason to bring money, iPods, cell phones, any other electronic items to school and not have it on their person, meaning keep it on you at all times," DeJonge said. 

"We do tell students to always lock their belongings, however, many students still do not do that, even the students who have had items stolen from them," District Administrator Rick Monroe said. "I often wonder why students bring expensive items to school in the first place.  My suggestions is, if you don't need it for school, you should leave it at home."

Students are even supplied with locks at Nicolet, but DeJonge says some students just refuse to use those locks, and she does not understand why. 

"Usually, until they are a victim of theft, they don’t learn, unfortuantely," she said.