Thieves target radios from school buses

Jeffrey Libby

Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2000 | 10:56 a.m.

With just two weeks left before buses roll to transport Clark County children back to school, 320 two-way radios were reported stolen over the weekend.

Thieves broke the gate locks of three bus yards sometime between Friday and Monday and hand-picked only the latest model, a GM300 installed in about 1,000 buses this summer, according to Sgt. Ken Young of the Clark County School District Police Department. Older models were left untouched, Young said.

"They were after that particular model," Young said. He added that similar thefts occurred in California and Arizona last year.

The radios, valued at $750 each, for a total net worth $240,000, were stolen from unlocked buses parked at 444 W. Brooks Ave. in North Las Vegas and 210 N. Eastern Ave. and 4499 S. Arville St., both in Las Vegas.

"(The radios) are part of safety," Young said. "It's a direct contact back to dispatch if a bus breaks down, if there's an accident or an altercation. It's a direct line back for help."

Anyone with tips can contact police at 799-0228.

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