Police investigate string of Metro school break-ins - WSMV Channel 4
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Less than two weeks before the start of the new school year, Metro Nashville Public Schools officials are dealing with an unexpected problem.
Someone has been breaking into schools, and you might be surprised how easily they're getting inside.
"It's a disgrace to these kids, and it's a disgrace to the neighborhood," said East Nashville resident Thomas Hudgens.
Hudgens said he tries to keep an eye out for crime in his neighborhood, but he wasn't able to catch whoever broke into nearby Tom Joy Elementary this week, grabbing two-way radios and a computer.
It was the second burglary at the school this month.
"You're stealing from the school, the teachers and the Metro government," Hudgens said.
Police are calling the break-ins a pattern after similar burglaries earlier this month at Jere Baxter Middle and Stratford High, where computers were stolen.
And whoever broke into the schools didn't smash any windows. According to police, they found unlocked doors.
Officers said the alarms at the schools were working, but the thieves were able to get in and out anyway.
A custodian at Tom Joy Elementary, who didn't want to provide his name, said the district recently fixed problems with some doors not closing properly.
"We had Metro out here yesterday. They fixed all our problems," he said.
Detectives arrested two juveniles for the break-in at Stratford, and said that crime likely isn't related to the others.
But investigators continue to concentrate on the three school burglaries in East Nashville.
"We've increased the extra patrols in that area. We've made requests from the canine division and other resources throughout the department to give extra attention during the patrols," said Metro Police Lt. Michael Gilliland.
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