Thieves have hit the Salvation Army Primary School again. They didn't take much but it's news because it's the fourth burglary in two weeks. And while on Tuesday the City Council pledged to provide the school with security, they didn't. We found out why today.
Keith Swift Reporting,
The thieves entered the school last night by forcefully opening this lock on the door which leads to the dining room. There wasn't much in here to steal - except these clothes. There were three bags of clothes and they stole two. And after that - they rummaged through the kitchen - breaking open doors on cabinets with nothing but soap powder inside. And before they left, they went into this barrel and stole of all things - wedding dresses. They also busted through this door to the computer lab but didn't take anything. Head cook Rhoda Pandy made the discovery when she arrived at work.
Rhoda Pandy, Head Cook
"When I came and I got at the entrance I looked this way and I saw the
door was open, that number three door. So I went further on to find out who is in there, if it is the Major or a workman. When I got there I saw just two pieces of metal like this on the floor and I looked in the door and I saw that it was broken off. I swung back out and went to find out which is the police number and I called 911. So I came back and started to walk up and down the place because now I was frustrated. I was miserable and I said like this, this one is spite. This is really to thief, this is spitefulness."
Spitefulness because this is the fourth break-in at the school in less than two weeks. It's cute because the school should have been guarded by a security officer provided by the City Council. But no guard was there last night and City Councilor Mark King says there is a good reason why.
Mark King, Belize City Councilor
"The owner of J&Bs Mr. Meighan and Major Robateau from the school could not coordinate the time yesterday to put the security guard in place. So they had settled to meet today to do that. Therefore the thief had an opportune time of one day to actually break into the school again. So the program will work, the security guard will be there as of tonight."
So tonight there will be a guard but that will do little to ease the mind of Rhoda Pandy who feels like a
victim of a terror campaign.
Rhoda Pandy,
"If the neighbors do not know who is stealing it, I think they or someone from the neighborhood is stealing it. I am saying this personally because I am hurt and the neighbors of this area are always in this yard. So if they don't see, who is stealing it. I think this is spite. Why they are spiting the school, and all these people that live around here come to Salvation Army School for any function that we have. If we have vacation bible school they come here, if we have Sunday school and they don't want to come to Sunday school, they come into the yard and make noise. Why are they doing this to us? I have a feeling that they know who is doing all this breaking in. I have that feeling."
Anyone with information on who is burglarizing the school can crime stoppers at 0-800-922-TIPS.
