Stolen radios cost schools $500K

By Emily Richmond

Monday, Aug. 15, 2005 | 11:01 a.m.

Thieves stole 181 two-radio radios from the Clark County School District's locked bus yard over the weekend, a haul worth about $90,500, officials said this morning.

That brings the number of two-way bus radios stolen from district yards over the last five years to 828, and raises the total replacement cost to $500,500.

The two-way radios stolen this weekend were taken from the bus yard on Arville Street between Flamingo Road and Tropicana Avenue, said Ron Despenza, transportation manager for the district.

There were no signs of forced entry at the 40-acre site, Despenza said. District security personnel are responsible for patrolling the bus yards after hours and on weekends, Despenza said.

The district was in the process of putting additional security measures in place at the time of the most recent thefts, Walt Rulffes, co-interim superintendent, said this morning.

"It may be time for us to step things up," Rulffes said.

He declined to discuss what additional measures would be taken. A review of the existing security measures, including the manned patrols, will be part of the investigation of the latest thefts, Rulffes said.

Police have not caught those responsible for the earlier thefts, Rulffes said.

The break-in over the weekend occurred exactly a year after thieves made off with 240 two-way radios, valued at about $120,000 total, out of buses parked at the district's four locked bus lots.

Friday marked the last day of work for the district's bus drivers before a two-week break. The 2005-06 academic year begins Aug. 29. Sources close to the investigation speculated that the thieves were familiar with the bus drivers' schedules and knew there would be no activity at the yard over the weekend following the last day of work.

In July 2004 thieves stole 87 two-radio radios, worth about $50,000 total, from buses in the Arville yard.

And in September 2000, thieves made off with 320 two-way radios by breaking the locks at Arville and two additional bus yards, making off with $240,000 worth of the devices.

In each case, the theft took place during a weekend.