Too bad the Star publishes news 2 or 3 weeks after the event and the newspaper staff doesn't write as the guest authors.
--pws
Wrestling equipment vandalized
By Erica Walters/Special to the Star
Wed Jan 23, 2008, 12:32 PM EST
Winchester, MA - Unknown vandals entered the Winchester High School wrestling team's locker room last week and destroyed $2,000 worth of equipment, according to police and school officials.
Vandals cut up uniforms, shoes, and other clothing, on Friday morning. The damage was discovered when a student entered the locker room during B Block and found that the equipment had been slashed, police said.
The door to the wrestling locker room was unlocked at the time of the incident, according to Officer Dan Perenick, Winchester High School's Student Resource Officer.
"This isn't just an attack on the wrestling team," Principal Tom Gwin said in a public address Monday. "It's a violation of everything that the high school stands for. The person or people who did this will be prosecuted to the fullest extent for destruction of public property and will make full restitution to the athletic department."
The vandals could be charged with malicious destruction of property, a felony when the damage amounts to over $250, Perenick said.
Vandals and thieves have targeted the school's locker rooms over the past few years. Clothing and iPods have been the most commonly stolen items, administrators said.
Most of the property has been stolen from lockers that were left unlocked. The wrestling team's equipment that was destroyed was either unsecured or pulled through the holes in the locker doors, Perenick said.
Several safety measures have been implemented in Winchester High School this year to prevent vandalism and theft, and Perenick said that the idea of installing security cameras in the gym area has been discussed following Friday's incident.
"We've been very fortunate this year with vandalism in the school," Perenick said, knocking on his wooden desk. "With the help of the school's custodial staff and Connect and Commit volunteers, we've been able to reduce vandalism and graffiti."
Security cameras could help decrease vandalism in areas of the school where adult supervision is limited. They could also act as a deterrent and help police investigate crimes, Perenick said.
Winchester's Student Council is raising money to replace the property destroyed in the wrestling locker room. Donations can be made in the high school library.
Editor's Note: Erica Walters, 16, is a junior at Winchester High School. She wrote this story for the high school newspaper, the Red and Black
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