Equipment worth $50K stolen from Waterhen Lake school

It was a bad early start to the new school year for an area First Nation school which lost a large stock of computer equipment over the weekend.

Meadow Lake RCMP detachment is investigating a theft at Waweyekisik Educational Centre – a kindergarten to Grade 12 school at Waterhen Lake First Nation – that resulted in about $50,000 worth of computer equipment being stolen.

Police report sometime over the weekend from Friday, Aug. 18 to Sunday, Aug. 20, a total of 100 iPads and 80 computer tablets were stolen from the school. The school’s video surveillance equipment was also damaged in the incident.

“It is a substantial theft,” Meadow Lake RCMP Sgt. Ryan How said.  “It’s going to do a lot of damage to the school going into the year starting up here.”   

A staff member reported the theft around 2 p.m. on Aug. 20. The last time someone was in the school was before the incident on Aug. 18.

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How said investigating officers determined the culprits entered the facility using force, but would not provide further details since the investigation is ongoing.

“Unfortunately, for break and enters to schools on Waterhen it isn’t uncommon, but a theft of this magnitude certainly is,” he said. “We would ask for any help the public could offer.”

While the school’s video surveillance equipment was damaged, police will be assessing it further.

“That is something the investigators are looking into, that maybe there may be some evidence that can be retained on that system,” How said.

 “I am assuming with a theft of this size somebody is going to know something about it,” he added. “They can certainly give us a call if they have any information.”

Police don’t have any suspects currently and are asking anyone with information to contact the RCMP at 306-236-2570, or call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW