Vandalism incidents down at APS schools

HIGH NUMBER IS HOW MUCH A-P-S SPENT LAST SCHOOL YEAR BECAUSE OF VANDALISM TONIGHT - WE LOOKED INTO HOW BAD THE PROBLEM IS NOW JEFF MAHER IS LIVE AT DEL NORTE HIGH SCHOOL WITH WHAT HE UNCOVERED JEFF RECENTLY DEL NORTE HIGH SCHOOL WAS HIT BY VANDALS BUT THE DAMAGE WAS KEPT TO A MINIMUM - - AND THE SUSPECTS WERE CAUGHT THAT S BEEN THE STORY AT MOST OF THE SCHOOLS OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS - - AND THAT S PARTLY THANKS TO SOME WATCHFUL EYES FROM THE NEIGHBORHOODS we need to stop the vandalism it s expensive for everyone EVERY WEEK AFTER SCHOOL HOURS - YOU CAN FIND ROSS ARAGON TOSSING A JAVELIN ON THE PRACTICE FIELD AT DEL NORTE HIGH SCHOOL AT THE SAME TIME HE S WORKING OUT - - HE S ALSO WATCHING OUT FOR VANDALS if I were to see anything I would certainly report it and make sure that it doesn t happen A-P-S OFFICIALS SAY NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH PROGRAMS ARE PLAYING A VITAL ROLE IN CATCHING VANDALS IN THE ACT - SOMETHING THEY DESPERATELY NEED AFTER LAST YEAR S COLORFUL YET COSTLY VARIETY OF INCIDENTS - - INCLUDING BURNED PLAYGROUNDS A SCORCHED DUGOUT A SPREE OF BROKEN WINDOWS STOLEN AIR CONDITIONING UNITS - - AND A MUSTANG MASCOT THAT WAS PAINTED GREEN AND DECORATED WITH A SEX TOY THE DAMAGE LAST SCHOOL YEAR WAS CLOSE TO SIX- HUNDRED THOUSAND BUCKS SO FAR THIS SCHOOL YEAR IT S BELOW TWO- HUNDRED THOUSAND it s pretty difficult to get away with some vandalism right now EARLIER THIS MONTH - THE SANDIA HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL FIELD WAS COVERED WITH GANG-RELATED GRAFFITI THE VANDALS WHO WERE ALL GRADUATES FROM OTHER SCHOOLS WERE CAUGHT AFTER TIPS POURED IN THEY WERE ALSO CAUGHT ON CAMERA - - AND IT WAS CAMERAS THAT BUSTED THESE TEENS BREAKING INTO HIGHLAND HIGH SCHOOL OVER THE SUMMER so we re seeing much more people being caught for these crimes and I think it has a lot to do with people talking giving in tips as well as neighborhood watched calling in and they re getting caught in the act A-P-S OFFICIALS SAY THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE IN FIGHTING VANDALISM RIGHT NOW IS GETTING ALL OF THEIR SCHOOLS WIRED WITH ALARMS LIVE IN NORTHEAST