'Inept' Burglars Targeting Elementary Schools

Not you again!

​An early morning break-in yesterday at Longfellow Elementary School appears to be the latest in a series of elementary school burglaries by a thief or thieves police describe as "inept."

The miscreants roamed through Longfellow and damaged several doors -- including the principal's door. But, for all their troubles, they escaped only with a laptop case. An empty laptop case. On Monday, the Mission Education Center was similarly victimized -- but all the burglars managed to haul off was a projector. A couple of break-ins at Paul Revere in mid-month didn't net anything, according to the SFPD.

When asked if this was the work of professional thieves, Officer Jennifer Marino quickly answered in the negative. She didn't think it was the work of students, either, because there has been no vandalism -- "When kids break into a school, they usually want to spraypaint it. This seems more like [someone] going after something. Like electronics."

But not doing it well. Marino pondered why the grand haul for all the break-ins has been one empty case and a projector "of all the things you could steal."

​So far, none of the break-ins has revealed signs of forced entry; the burglar or burglars have either slipped into windows or, possibly, jimmied the door.

Police are on the lookout. And, Marino notes, teachers and other school officials hoping to keep their projectors and empty laptop cases should lock their doors and close their windows.

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