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Sisters, Oregon
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The contents of the on-line edition of The Nugget represent a selection among the stories that appear in the weekly print edition.

Schools acknowledge theft problems
By Jim Cornelius

Crime is not a huge problem in Sisters schools. There are no metal detectors at entrances; there are few fights or suspensions for drugs and alcohol.

But Sisters school officials acknowledge a problem with theft.

Several students have had wallets stolen from athletic lockers in recent weeks at Sisters High School.

"Actually, what's going on is that all these thefts occurred in the same three-day periods," said Dean of Students Bob Macauley.

No suspects have been found in the thefts. According to Macauley, the locker rooms are heavily trafficked and the lockers are none too secure.

That's especially true when students don't bother to lock them, a frequent occurrence.

"Then they're shocked when their wallets are missing," Macauley said.

The situation is similar at Sisters Middle School. In fact, theft is considered a major issue.

"I would characterize theft as our most serious discipline problem at the middle school," said Principal Lora Nordquist.

Thefts usually involve money taken from lockers or backpacks. Again, students often leave themselves vulnerable by failing to lock their lockers.

Macauley said he doesn't want to blame the victims of theft, but students need to take basic precautions to avoid being victims.

He noted that many high school students bring their paychecks or large amounts of cash to school.

"Number one -- don't do that," Macauley said.

Making sure valuables are secured is the next step -- including the basic precaution of not leaving things lying around.

"We have a lost and found that is triple the size of Bend High School," Macauley said.

Loss of clothing and other personal possessions is a persistent problem at the middle school. There, too, the lost and found is overflowing. Nordquist said school staff takes 20 garbage bags full of unclaimed coats and the like to the Goodwill at the end of every school year.

Sometimes left-behind clothing is simply taken.

"We try to educate the kids that you don't just take things that are lying around," Nordquist said.

Kids sometimes take things from the lost and found.

"Just because it's in the lost and found doesn't mean it's free for the taking," Nordquist said.

Nordquist believes that thefts of money are perpetrated multiple times by a few students. Such thefts are referred to School Resource Deputy Tim Hernandez for law enforcement action.

The wrongful "claiming" of left-behind items is more widespread and more difficult to deal with.

Parents must be involved, according to Nordquist.

"The pilfering from the lost and found is a parental issue," she said.

She encourages parents to pay attention to their child's possessions and take action if something turns up that the child shouldn't have.

"I'd know if my daughter was wearing something I didn't buy her," she said.

At Sisters High School, Macauley and Deputy Hernandez have enhanced the visibility of their presence, to let would-be thieves know that they are watching.

But most of all, Macauley urges students to take basic precautions and learn "how not to be a victim."

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